The cortex of the hair shaft is located between the hair cuticle and medulla and is the thickest hair layer. It contains most of the hair's pigment, giving the hair its color. The major pigment in the cortex is

melanin Melanin (; from el, μέλας, melas, black, dark) is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis, where the oxidation of the amino ...

, which is also found in skin. The distribution of this pigment varies from animal to animal and person to person. In humans, the melanin is primarily denser nearer the

cuticle A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...

whereas in animals, melanin is primarily denser nearer the medulla.James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005) ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology'' (10th ed.). Saunders. Page 8. .

References

Hair anatomy {{Dermatology-stub