The Life Cycle of Natural Hair Growth By Laurie Frias At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Each hair grows in a cycle that can be divided into three stages: the hair growth stage lasting two to six years, the partial degeneration stage lasting 10 to 14 days, and finally the resting phase during which time the hair is shed and there is an involution of the hair follicles lasting about three months.

Hair is formed by cell division at the base of the follicle ( a tiny pocket in the skin), part of a cycle of growing, resting and falling out. Human hair grows in a continuous cyclic pattern of growth and rest known as the "hair growth cycle”. On average, it takes approximately 33 weeks for your face and body hair to go through an entire hair growth cycle. There are three main phases of the individual healthy hair growth cycle: anagen, catagen, and telogen.

The anagen stage is the active growth phase when hair fiber is produced. This stage lasts between two and seven years. The anagen phase is when your hair is actively growing from your hair follicle and out of your scalp. So, if the hair is up and about and has visible pigment, it is in its anagen phase. During this phase, hair grows at its normal rate (an average of one-half inch per month),and 90% of the hairs on your head will be in the anagen phase at any given time. During this phase, the hair has an abundance of melanin. At the end of the this phase an unknown signal causes the follicle to go into the catagen phase.

The catagen phase is considered to be the breakdown phase and can last a few weeks. During the catagen stage the hair is separated from it's nutritional source and hair growth stops, it is known as the period of breakdown and change. Catagen is the end of the active growth period, and is marked by changes occurring in the follicle. The resting phase follows the catagen phase and normally lasts about 5-6 weeks.

The telogen stage is a resting period that lasts from seven weeks to three months. During this phase no hair is produced. Not more than 10 percent of the follicles are in the resting phase at any time. Hair that
is in the telogen phase is usually shed, or after the start of the next anagen phase when it gets pushed out of the follicle. Once this phase ends, the anagen phase of that follicle begins once again.

The duration of each stage varies with the species, anatomical location, genetic influence and a variety of environmental and physiological factors. Can you affect the speed of the hair growth cycle? The correct answer is no, the hair growth cycle can be neither increased or decreased as of yet. During the entire hair growth cycle, our bodies contain all the hair follicles we will ever have from the very day we are born. You can not only learn how to maintain healthier and thicker hair, but will also learn how to prevent hair loss and baldness from occurring unnaturally by understanding what happens through the hair growth cycle.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=336800&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

Important Notice DISCLAIMER: All information, content, and data in this article are sole opinions and/or findings of the individual user or organization that registered and submitted this article at Isnare.com without any fee. The article is strictly for educational or entertainment purposes only and should not be used in any way, implemented or applied without consultation from a professional. We at Isnare.com do not, in anyway, contribute or include our own findings, facts and opinions in any articles presented in this site. Publishing this article does not constitute Isnare.com's support or sponsorship for this article. Isnare.com is an article publishing service. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.