Hair growth phases

It is helpful to have an understanding of the Hair Growth Cycle in order to recognise and comprehend a significant number of the issues that may arise with your hair. It may appear to be a straightforward procedure that hair grows and falls out, but the hair development cycle actually consists of four separate stages that occur in sequence. These stages of hair growth have been investigated in great detail for the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding of how hair grows and what can be done to stop or treat loss of hair at an earlier age. The normal life cycle of a hair follicle consists of four phases: anagen (growing), catagen (regression), telogen (resting), and exogen (extraction). The first three phases deal with the development and maturation of the hair as well as the activity of the hair follicles, which are responsible for the production of individual hairs. The final phase, also known as the exogen phase, is when “old” hair falls out, however throughout this time, typically, a new hair is getting ready to take its place. This hair cycle, which determines the maximum hair length that an individual is capable of achieving, is described in greater detail below under the following headings:

What is the Agagen Phase?

The Anagen Phase is also known as the “Growth Phase” and the “Active Phase” in some circles. During this phase, the cells in the root of your hair divide at the speediest pace possible, which ultimately results in more new hair being formed.

What is the rate of hair growth?

Your hair will grow around half an inch per month while it is in the Anagen Phase, which will result in approximately six inches of growth over the course of a year. During the summer, the pace of growth is far faster than it is during the winter.

How long does it take for the Agagen Stage to complete?

This part of the Hair Growth Cycle usually lasts between three and five years. By that time, a full head of hair will have grown an average of 18 to 30 inches. People of Asian descent tend to have longer Anagen Phases, which can last up to 7 years. This means that your hair could grow up to 3 feet long if you let it.

What is the Catagen Phase?

After the Anagen Phase of your hair cycle, your hair will go through a brief transitional phase known as the Catagen Phase. Individual hairs are severed from their connections to the blood supply as well as the cells that generate new hair during this phase, which marks the end of the active phase of hair production. There will always be approximately three percent of all hairs in this stage at any moment.

How long does it take for the Catagen Phase to complete?

The catagen phase typically lasts for around ten days.

Telogen Phase

The Telogen Phase is the third stage of the natural hair development cycle, and it is a resting phase during which the strands of hair stay in their follicles but do not actively grow. At any given time, somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of your hairs are thought to be in the telogen phase.

How long does the Telogen Stage last?

The duration of the telogen phase is around three months, or one hundred days.

Exogen Phase

During this final stage of the hair growth cycle, individual hair strands are released from their follicles and fall out. This marks the end of the hair growth cycle.

What is the duration of the Exogen Stage?

This phase can last anywhere from two to five months.

What Occurs When the Hair Growth Cycle Is Interrupted?

In order to prevent your hair from falling out all at once, each hair follicle is self-sufficient and completes its phase of the development cycle at a distinct time. Instead, you only lose a set amount of hairs each day, perhaps from 80 to 100 hairs on a head of hair that is healthy. When your body’s natural development cycle is thrown off, you may experience problems with hair growth, including hair loss and hair thinning. This can be brought on by factors such as metabolic imbalances, disease, or incorrect diet, amongst other things.

You may develop telogen effluvium, for example, about 12 weeks after being on a diet that is too restrictive or having a fever for an extended period of time (sudden diffuse hair fall). This takes place when your body’s anagen (growing) phase is disrupted, causing a large number of hairs to enter the telogen (resting) phase all at once. This leads to an increase in hair loss three months later, when the body is in its exogen (shedding) phase.

It’s possible that your hair won’t grow as long as it did in the past if your hair growth cycle is consistently disrupted or when you don’t provide it the proper nutrients it needs to thrive. This is because your hairs are never allowed to remain in the anagen phase for the necessary amount of time for them to grow to the proper length.

How to maintain hair health during all four stages

Genes and hormone levels, both of which are largely out of your control, play a significant role in determining the health and fullness of your hair. However, there are some factors that you can control, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and giving your hair the attention and care it needs, which can help. Some of the most effective tactics across all four stages include the following:

Diet & nutrition

Maintaining a regular diet that provides your body with an adequate amount of vitamins, iron, fibre, and protein will assist in the regulation of your hair growth cycle. In addition, you can add a further measure of control to your practise by include nutritional supplements in your regular regimen.

Minimise stress

The amount of time that your hair spends in the phases of the cycle known as the “resting” phases, where no new hair is growing, can be increased by stress. The more you are able to use strategies to lessen the effects of stress and better manage its effects, the more your hair will benefit. There are three distinct disorders that lead to premature hair loss and are caused by high amounts of stress. They are as follows:

• Telogen effluvium. This condition speeds up the transition of hair from the anagen phase to the telogen phase and ultimately into the exogen phase, resulting in a loss of hair that is twice or even three times as severe as the average daily loss.
• Trichotillomania. This psychological condition produces an irrepressible need to pluck hair out of the scalp or from other places of the body, and it can affect both men and women.
• Alopecia areata. This disorder manifests itself when the immune system of the body targets healthy hair follicles, resulting in a loss of hair.

Choose the right hair care products

Selecting the appropriate shampoo is the first step in maintaining healthy hair. If you have oily hair, dry hair, fine hair, color-treated hair, or any other type of hair, you should look for products that are made specifically for that type of hair. Finding the correct conditioner can also make a difference, but it may take some trial and error to find the products that work best for your hair. Pay attention to how different shampoos and conditioners affect the texture and appearance of your hair. Taking care of your hair in a gentle manner is another crucial step toward promoting healthy development. When you shampoo, try to steer clear of water that is really hot, and be sure to pat your hair dry with a towel rather than rubbing it. When damp, hair is more susceptible to breakage and other types of damage. When drying your hair, reducing the amount of heat you use could also make a difference.

Conclusion

Anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen are the four stages that comprise the process of hair growth. There is a significant difference in duration between each phase. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes low levels of stress, a balanced diet, and gentle hair care should help encourage healthy hair growth over a longer period of time. Consult a medical professional if you feel that you are shedding your hair at a rate that is significantly higher than what it typically is for you. It’s possible that you have an underlying ailment that’s causing disruptions in the stages of hair growth; if so, treating that disease as soon as possible could help slow down hair loss and preserve the good hair you still have.