Why can't we humans swallow hair easely?

It tends to cling to your throat, rather than go down, and engages the choke mechanism.

I’m guessing you don’t live with dogs.

Probably at least in part because we cannot digest it, ergo it is important not to eat a lot of it. Thus, those who do compulsively eat and swallow hair (those with trichophagia) often end up with hairballs that must be removed. Rapunzel Syndrome is an interesting occurrence of this.

Probably for the same reasons that human beings can’t swallow steel wool easily. :)

@YARNLADY or cats!

Mmmmm. Hair.

I actually instinctively gagged upon reading this question

A strand of hair is simply too small for an esophagus to manipulate.

this is such a gross question… but a great question nonetheless!
I think it has to do something with the tongue’s gag reflex as the hair wraps around it and tries to stifle it.

Ewww because it’s just gross! Hair is so weird. Jerry Seinfeld does a bit about how we love our hair and how we will touch other peoples hair but once one of those hairs becomes unattached from the head it is the most disgusting thing ever. Its true!

Excellent question too, kinda funny.

As you can see on my life-like avatar, i have pretty long hair, and it happens to me at least once every day that i involuntarily eat my hair.
And yes, it is disgusting.
So, every day i join my pussycat in a nice vomit-session.

It is a part of God’s design for human beings that functions to discourage sodomy.

Try chopping up the hair into smaller pieces and mixing it into something like risotto. You could blend it and put it in a mixed drink that may help you get around your lack of hair consumption dilema. Also, just shave your head, and any hairy pets, that way you won’t be as tempted.

@bumwithablackberry Haha, I don’t plan on having hair for dinner, but if I do.. :)
I was just wondering :P

I don’t want to swallow hair, and if I had the ability I still wouldn’t :[

@AlyxCaitlin how long does it take for dual lip piercing to heal. Would it be good to get them done at the same time?

What kind of piercing? As in snake bites or a double tongue piercing?

bahahah sorry I over read it. I would suggest doing it at the same time, and it would heal the same rate one piercing would :]

I once chocked really badly this way. I was around 11 or 12 and I was alone. I started coughing non-stop and I could feel something was triggering it in the back of my throat and then suddenly I couldn’t stop coughing and I got to the point where I couldn’t breathe or even ask for help. I went on to my balcony because I was getting scared since I was alone and I didn’t know what to even do. My eyes started watering and I was really panicking because I couldn’t breathe for at least 10 seconds and I knew I would faint/collapse soon. But finally I pulled out this long fucking strand of hair with a couple smalls crumbs of food on it. I was really relieved that it came out on it’s own because I simply panicked and didn’t even know what was stuck in my throat. It’s not like having a big piece of food or something stuck in your throat. I can see how someone can easily die this way because if it stays stuck for a minute or two than you’ll completely have lost your airway and will faint pretty soon.