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People and human anatomy

Hair

A hair is a slender strand of protein that grows from the skin of humans and other mammals.

How big is it?

70 µm across

Also 0.002756 in

Diameter · example

Scale illustration of a hair, showing the recorded diameter.
Recorded diameter: 70 µm.

A little perspective

Hair vs Sheet of paper: length comparison

The thickness of a sheet of paper is about 1.43 times the diameter of a hair.

Scale
Hair

A hair is a slender strand of protein that grows from the skin of humans and other mammals.

70 µmDiameter
0 - shared origin
Sheet of paper

A sheet of paper is a flat material made from cellulose pulp, used for writing, printing or packaging.

100 µmThickness
0 - shared origin

Both rulers start at the same zero and share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its original proportions. Horizontal rulers compare the selected spans; vertical brackets also identify height on the artwork.

Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Hair

Diameter: 70 µm; example.

A 70 µm diameter example; hair thickness varies.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Sheet of paper

Thickness: 100 µm; example.

A 0.1 mm thick sheet. Paper stock and compression change thickness.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked thickness is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.

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Why this measurement?

Why we use 70 µm

We compare the diameter of a hair. This is an illustrative comparison value, not a claim that every example is the same.

A 70 µm diameter example; hair thickness varies.

The marked vertical span follows the measured feature, not the edges of the image. How calibrated comparisons work →

Explore people and human anatomy →

Recorded properties

Dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
70 µmNot recordedexample

Around this scale

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Sources and method

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The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.

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More ways to see it

Curated comparisons

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A closer look

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All stories →
The invisible world beneath a beeA bee beside a pound coin is small. A bee beside a bacterium is enormous.Read the story →

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