Cycles of Hair Growth
Being knowledgeable about the cycles of hair growth are an important part in your goal to achieve long healthy hair. Every hair follicle on your head is currently going through one of the following phases of hair growth: the growing phase, the resting phase, and the shedding phase. It is important to understand what each of these mean.
Growing Phase
The growing phase is the longest phase of the cycles of hair growth. It is also the one that most of your hair is going through at one time. Typically, about 90% of your hair is in this phase.
This phase can somewhat determine the longest length that your hair can grow. The average growing phase is between 3 and 7 years. Most hair grows an average of .5 inches every month. That means it is ultimately possible to grow one hair from 18-42 inches. Of course, this would mean you haven't had any breakage or needed any trimming! The growing phase is probably the phase you're most interested in but it is also important to learn more about the resting phase.
Resting Phase
The resting phase is the 2nd part in the cycle of hair growth. It is during this phase that the hair is not growing but the hair is still contained in the follicle.
Luckily, this phase is pretty short - lasting only 2-4 weeks. About 4% of all your hair is in this phase at one time. Hair growth is not occurring at this time while the hair rests until it is ready to shed.
Shedding Phase
I'm sure you all have heard that it's normal for hair to shed about 50-100 hairs per day. That exactly right!
After the hairs are finished resting, they get pushed out of the hair follicle. It may not immediately fall from your head until you later brush or comb your hair. While brushing or combing, those hairs that no longer have a root are coming out as shedding. Only about 2% of your is going through this phase at one time.
Shedding is something that tends to worry people. I ask you to think about how often you brush or comb your hair daily. You may get a lot of shed hairs at once if you only brush or comb once a day.
I hope that I have given you a broad overview of the cycles of hair growth. This isn't meant to be a science lesson so if you are looking for a little more than I provided here, check out some books at your local library on the topic.
As you now know, the cycles of hair growth are growing, resting, and shedding. Remember that all of your hair is in one cycle or the other at any given time and it's all perfectly normal!
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