What is the Hair Growth Cycle?

Okay we know our hair grows but exactly how does it grow and when?

There are three stages of hair growth which is important to know about. These are called: anagen (growth phase), catagen (transtional phase), telogen (resting phase). Hair is in one of 3 stages of growth at any given time: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.

Okay in case you dont feel like reading this entire post, here is the short version:

• Hair's active growth phase is called Anagen. It lasts for an average of approximately 1,000 days in the human scalp, but can last as long as six years! During Anagen, the hair contains an abundance of melanin.

• Catagen is the regression phase when the lower part of hair stops growing but is not shed. The follicle is reabsorbed. The Catagen phase lasts only one to two weeks.

• The resting phase is called Telogen during which the old hair falls out in preparation for the develpment of new hair. This phase which lasts for about five or six weeks.

Now for yall who like to read alot:
Anagen - Anagen is the active phase of the hair (hair which is living and growing). The cells in the root of the hair are dividing rapidly. A new hair is formed and pushes the club hair up the follicle and eventually out. During this phase the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. Scalp hair stays in this active phase of growth for 2-6 years. Some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length because they have a short active phase of growth. On the other hand, people with very long hair have a long active phase of growth. The hair on the arms, legs, eyelashes, and eyebrows have a very short active growth phase of about 30-45 days explaining why they are so much shorter than scalp hair. Hair loss occurs when anagen is interrupted by certain medications (e.g. anti-cancer drugs), or by the 'autoimmune' disease, alopecia areata. Anagen hair is tapered or broken-off.

Did you know? Your anagen (growth phase) which allows your hair to grow much longer before it enters the resting and shedding phases. One way to do this is to incorporate vitamins for hair growth in your diet. (Another way to do this is to become pregnant. While a woman is pregnant, all of her hair is locked in the growth phase.

Catagen - The catagen phase is a transitional stage and 3% of all hairs are in this phase at any time. This phase lasts for about 2-3 weeks. During this time growth stops and the outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair. This is the formation of what is known as a club hair.

Telogen - Telogen is the resting phase and accounts for 10-15% of all hairs. This phase lasts for about 100 days for hairs on the scalp and much longer for hairs on the eyebrow, eyelash, arm and leg. During this phase the hair follicle is completely at rest and the club hair is completely formed. Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root. About 25-100 telogen hairs are shed normally each day, generally more in autumn or winter. Excessive shedding results in telogen effluvium, often a couple of months after an event such as child-bearing, fever, an operation, weight loss or certain medications. Sometimes there appears to be no recognisable cause, and the shortened hair cycle can continue for years (chronic telogen effluvium).

After the Telogen phase the cycle is complete and the hair goes back into the Anagen phase. New hair shafts form and older hair is pushed out and lost. The hair growth cycle then repeats.

Did you know? At any given time, a random number of hairs will be in various stages of growth and shedding.