James Wick, age 11, of Valley Station, Ky., for his question:

WHAT MAKES HAIR CURLY?

Your hair is curly because your father or mother's hair is curly--or their parents before them had curly hair. The color of your hair, its texture and even the way it grows is Even though most of the factors of your hair are determined before you are born, environment can have some influence on it. For example, a person may be born with straight hair but can have it permanently curled with special hair-waving equipment. Careful brushing and grooming can also make major changes in its quality.

New hair grows by forming new cells at the base of the roots. A human hair on the scalp will grow about one-half inch each month for between two to six years. Eyelashes are replaced every five months.