Smiling bald lady

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There is an increasing interest in healthy lifestyle options.  We’re paying more attention to how we exercise and what we eat.  We’re looking to our bodies for proof of good health, and know how to recognize signs of trouble.  But through all of this newfound knowledge, many of us don’t understand that our hair may be the most important measuring tool of good health.

It’s essential to understand the hair growth cycle in order to determine if your hair, as well as your body, is healthy.  When you know about the hair growth cycle, and can react appropriately to the different phases, you’ll learn how to maintain thicker and healthier  hair, and how to prevent hair loss and baldness from occurring unnaturally.

Obviously, hair develops continuously from the scalp.  The rate of speed at which it grows varies from person to person, but it averages six inches annually.  From the initial growth, your hair will move from the scalp in three different stages.  These phases are important in the continuous growth from your scalp.

The catagen is the first stage of growth that your hair will go through.  This is also known as a transitional stage for your hair.  When hair is in the catagen or “resting” phase, it is usually getting ready to shed.  The moisture, water, and salt, are released, and the growth of the hair will completely stop.  This permits for the outer root of the hair to shrink and attach to the inner root.  Catagen can end from two to four weeks. Different locations of your scalp are in this phase at all times, while other areas are in subsequent phases.

Telogen is the “resting” phase.  Again, at any given time, some of your hair will be in this stage, which typically lasts for about three months. The telogen phase happens directly after catagen in order to complete the formation of the hair.  If you pull out a hair during this phase, you will see dry, hard,  white material at the root and you will experience some scalp irritation.

Following telogen, the third and final phase of hair growth is the anagen phase.  Some hairs are able to keep budding, while others will become dead at the follicle over time.  In the telogen stage, the hair that is not able to grow anymore will fall out.  The rest of the hair progresses to anagen, known as the “active”stage.  During this phase, the roots of the hair will begin to produce and divide new cells.  The result is a fresh hair that will push through the open follicles in the scalp.  This sort of hair will stay active for two to six years.  If your hair doesn’t naturally grow too long, it is because your hair has a shorter active anagen phase.

Hair loss and baldness happen when the anagen phase becomes less active.  By knowing this, you will be able to properly respond to your hair growth cycle, and give your hair the boost it needs to become more active.  Knowing the hair growth cycle can help you to find the best care techniques for your scalp and hair, and possibly prevent premature hair loss from occurring.

Keeping healthy is not just about understanding your body from head to toe.  It requires full knowledge from HAIR to toe.  Your hair is a great gauge of your overall well-being.  Know the growth cycle and how to keep your hair in the pink.

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Filed under: Hair Loss