Hair growth cycles

It takes a long stage of two to six years for every hair strand on the scalp to attain its final growth potential. During this lengthy growth period the hair is washed, conditioned, exposed to the heat and greenhouse gasses, chemically treated etc. None of these factors affect the normal growth of the hair follicles, but they can damage the hair shaft. Hair follicles in the skin remain unaffected by the harmful effects of the atmosphere and continue with their normal cyclical process of hair growth and renewed re-growth after resting for a small period.

The phases of hair growth cycles

The cyclical process of hair growth can be divided into three major phases

• Anagen - lasts 2-8 years

• Catagen - lasts 2-4 weeks

• Telogen - lasts 2-4 months

There is a further phase called as Exogen which mainly concerns with the cracking of the hair, but it also seems to affect the anagen phase.

Duration of the particular hair growing phase depends on the age of the character, the intake quantity of natural supplements, hormone levels, and other physiologic and pathologic factors.