Prepare for the South Dakota Barbering Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Pass with confidence!

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Hair growth starts in the region known as the hair:

  1. shaft

  2. cuticle

  3. root

  4. papilla

The correct answer is: papilla

The papilla is a small, rounded protuberance at the base of a hair follicle in the dermis. It has numerous blood vessels that supply nutrients to the growing hair follicle. The shaft, cuticle, and root are all parts of the hair, but they are not where hair growth starts. The shaft is the visible portion of the hair above the skin's surface, the cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, and the root is the part of the hair below the skin's surface that anchors the hair in place. Therefore, the other choices are incorrect because they are not the starting point for hair growth.