Hair Growth Cycle
How does healthy hair grow?
There are three main phases of the individual healthy hair growth cycle: anagen,
catagen, and telogen. Anagen is the active hair growth phase in the hair growth cycle. It
lasts for about 4 to 5 years. In the 5th year, the catagen stage evolves, a
period of regression of the hair follicle. Ultimately, the hair follicle falls
out as a resting period, the telogen stage. By the 6th year, new hairs grow and
the hair growth cycle begins again.
The
number of hair on a healthy scalp is approximately 100,000. On a normal human scalp about
90 percent of follicles is
continually in the
anagen stage of the hair growth stage. The
average rate of hair fiber growth is around half an inch per month. This rate varies
depending upon the hair follicle and the age of the individual.
What is a normal hair loss?
On average, 50 to 60 hairs are lost from the head every day in a normal
hair growth cycle. New hair starts to grow from the
same follicles. Hair starts to recede when fewer
number of new hair is in the re-growth stage.
Why hair stop growing?
Recent research found that
the protein important in hair, bone and cartilage structure, collagen, may
harden around the root of the hair and cause
hair loss. Collagen hardening interferes with the normal hair growth by suffocating
the roots of the hair. The
hair cycle slowly becomes disrupted and more hair is shed.
In time hair growth stops completely and baldness results.