Which substance provides moisture to the skin and hair, lubricating and helping to prevent wrinkling and hair breakage?

Which substance provides moisture to the skin and hair, lubricating and helping to prevent wrinkling and hair breakage?

• A. Hormone
• B. Sebum
• C. Melanin
• D. Perspiration

Answer: (B)

Sebum provides moisture and lubrication for skin and hair. It is the oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands that sit near hair follicles, forming a thin film on the skin’s surface and along the hair shaft. This oily layer helps seal in moisture, reducing water loss from the epidermis, which keeps the skin more supple and less prone to dryness and wrinkling. On hair, sebum coats the shaft, reducing friction and helping prevent breakage while giving hair a smoother, more resilient feel. The sebum’s lipid components—such as triglycerides, wax esters, squalene, and free fatty acids—create this protective, lubricating barrier. Hormones, melanin, and perspiration don’t provide this same continuous lubrication: hormones influence many processes, melanin is a pigment, and perspiration mainly aids cooling and waste removal rather than acting as a lasting moisturizer or hair lubricant.

Sebum provides moisture and lubrication for skin and hair. It is the oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands that sit near hair follicles, forming a thin film on the skin’s surface and along the hair shaft. This oily layer helps seal in moisture, reducing water loss from the epidermis, which keeps the skin more supple and less prone to dryness and wrinkling. On hair, sebum coats the shaft, reducing friction and helping prevent breakage while giving hair a smoother, more resilient feel. The sebum’s lipid components—such as triglycerides, wax esters, squalene, and free fatty acids—create this protective, lubricating barrier. Hormones, melanin, and perspiration don’t provide this same continuous lubrication: hormones influence many processes, melanin is a pigment, and perspiration mainly aids cooling and waste removal rather than acting as a lasting moisturizer or hair lubricant.