The hair growth cycle consists of four stages, anagen, catagen, telogen, and Exogen. Hair grows from follicles underneath the skin and is fed by blood vessels at the base of the follicles. Each phase of hair growth has its own timeline that can change due to circumstances such as age, nutrition, and overall health. Hair on the scalp grows at an average of 0.3 to 0.4 mm a day. At any given time, many of your hairs will be in one of four stages of growth and shedding:
Anagen
Anagen is known as the active phase of the hair growth cycle. The cells in the root of the hairs are dividing rapidly. A new hair is formed and pushes a hair that has stopped growing or is no longer in the anagen phase (a club hair) up the follicle and eventually out. This phase is the longest-lasting, an average of 2 to 7 years. During the anagen phase, hair follicles push out hairs that continue to grow until they’re either cut or reach the end of the hair’s lifespan and fall out. Around 90% of the hairs on your head will be in the anagen phase at any time.
Catagen
The catagen phase lasts around ten days and is a transitional phase that starts when the anagen phase ends. About 3% of all hairs are in this phase at any time, lasting around 2 to 3 weeks. Growth will stop; the sheath’s outer root shrinks and then attaches to the root of the hair; this is better known as a ‘club hair.’
Telogen
Telogen is the resting phase of hair growth and usually accounts for 6% to 8% of all hairs. This phase typically lasts around three months. The hair follicle is totally at rest during this phase, and the club hair is formed entirely. These shedding stages are perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. Some experts consider the telogen phase the shedding phase, but this has now been divided into another stage, Exogen.
Exogen
This is part of the resting phase where the old hair sheds and a new hair grows, also known as the shedding phase. Approximately 50 to 100 hairs can fall out for anyone daily; this is considered normal hair shedding. This phase can last between two and five months.
Having healthy, full hair depends on genetics and hormone levels which, unfortunately, we cannot control and can end in severe hair loss. There is no cure for hair loss, but there are solutions such as nano stroke brows for eyebrow hair loss that we can offer here at Reverencia or, scalp micropigmentation which can be offered in the UK at SMP London.
