Black hair Facts for Kids

A woman with black hair

Black hair is the darkest and most common hair color found around the world. It's a natural color that many people have, no matter where they come from. Black hair gets its super dark color from something called eumelanin. This is a natural pigment, or color, in your hair. Black hair is also usually less thick than other hair colors. Sometimes, very dark brown hair can look so dark that people think it's black! In English, you might hear black hair described as soft-black, raven black, or jet-black. People with black hair can have all kinds of skin tones, from very light to very dark, and their eyes can be dark or light too.

Where is Black Hair Most Common?
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Where is Black Hair Most Common?

Many scientists believe black hair was the first hair color for early humans. Today, you'll find it most often in places like Asia, Africa, and the Americas (North and South America). It's also very common in parts of Eastern Europe and Southern Europe.

For example, people from countries like Spain, France, Portugal, Ireland, and Wales often have straight or wavy black hair. Their eyes can be dark, like brown, or light, like green, gray, or blue. Sometimes, Irish people with these features are even called "Black Irish". While this hair color is seen across the United Kingdom, it becomes even more common as you travel into Eastern Europe.

People in places like Iran, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and North India also often have dark hair, from deep brown to black. Their eyes can be dark or light.

Black hair is naturally shiny. Even though it's super dark, in bright light, it can reflect a bit of light. This reflection doesn't look warm or neutral; instead, it can sometimes look almost blue, like the shiny feathers of a Raven. That's why it's sometimes called "raven-black." This color is common in people from Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.