The reality of a newborn baby's appearance is not always the pretty picture you might have inside your head. The soft and creamy-skinned and sweet-smelling bundle of joy you've expected may take some time to arrive--the reality is that many babies are born with dry, flaky skin and excessive body hair.

For women, menopause heralds more than the end of fertility and monthly menstrual periods: It brings many physical, mental and emotional symptoms such as hot flashes, moodiness, sleep disturbances and hair loss, according to MayoClinic.com.

While you might not mind thicker hair on your head, fast-growing hair on your arms, legs and other places can be a nuisance during pregnancy.

Whether you are an A, B or C cup, you may find yourself wanting bigger, firmer breasts. As girls hit puberty, estrogen levels rise causing reproductive organs to begin working. With this comes breast growth. Your breast size is determined by genetics and does not always occur as you would like it to.

Don't believe the common misconception that African American women must settle for short, fragile, unruly hair. The secret to achieving long black hair involves adopting a simple, yet effective hair care regimen. Many common habits actually subject black hair to abuse on a daily basis.

Men often first notice hair loss on the temple area or on the hair line. Many refer to this as a "receding hair line." While this is not necessarily the beginning of progressive male pattern baldness, it can be distressing.

Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate, a B vitamin. Women need folic acid; it’s important in the development of the fetus. Folic acid is beneficial for healthy hair growth, but it’s best known for its ability to help prevent spinal and neurological birth defects.

Unlike normal hair that only allows necessary amounts of moisture to penetrate the scales of the outer cuticle, porous hair absorbs liquid like a sponge. DERMAdoctor explains that your hair’s cuticle is made of tiny keratin scales that overlap one another.

There are many reasons why a woman may suddenly start losing her hair: hormone changes after giving birth, underactive or overactive thyroid, chemotherapy and side effects to a medication are among the common culprits.

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that hair growth takes place inside the hair follicle. The hair follicle is located within the epidermis layer of skin. The hair shaft, which is porous, grows inside the follicle and will become soft when wet.

Essential oils contain high concentrations of the chemicals that give plants their essence -- or fragrance and flavor. Distilled from the leaves, bark, flowers and other parts of plants, these oils have been used for centuries to promote hair growth in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Hair growth in men and women is governed by hormones called androgens. Specifically, androgens are the hormones that cause the development of "masculine" features, both in men and women. One of the characteristics that androgens are able to affect are hair follicles.