In the follicle the hair is surrounded by an inner root sheath that has three layers. Henles layer is one cell thick and lies to the outer root sheath. Huxley's layer is two or three cells thick and is in the middle of the sheath. The cuticle of this inner root sheath interlocks with the cuticle of the hair. Both the hair and the inner root sheath grow at the same rate, but the inner root sheath breaks down about two-thirds of the way up the follicle, so only the hair emerges past the skin surface.
Uncut hairs have a pointed tip.
Each hair follicle undergoes a cycle of activity. The hair grows to a maximum length, then hair growth ceases and the hair is shed and replaced. The epidermal cells surrounding the dermal papilla form the germinal matrix or root of the hair. These cells are constantly dividing, and as new cells are formed they push the older ones upwards where they begin to change shape. By the time the cells are about one-third of the way up the follicle they are dead and fully keratinised.