Growing long, beautiful hair takes time and care. We know that your scalp plays a vital role in creating a fertile environment for your hair to grow. It’s now time to look at where that growth starts—the root.

The root of it all

Hair follicles are formed while in the womb. That’s right! You had all the makings for a full head of hair before you were even born. The follicle is what houses the hair shaft—the part of the root that rests just above the surface of your skin.

There are typically about five million hair follicles on your body, and while one million of those are on your head, only about a hundred thousand are on your scalp—making up that gorgeous head of hair. 

It’s amazing that no matter how big we get, we still have the same number of hair follicles from the day we were born. As we age, our skulls grow, our scalps stretch, and our hair follicles naturally space out. That’s why young children always seem to have such thick, full hair.

Hair growth cycles

Human hair grows at a rate of about half an inch a month, and each strand goes through three stages of growth. Because human hair is constantly growing, there are strands in every phase of growth at all times. 

On the other hand, animal shedding is very different, as animals go through seasonal hair changes. Even though it might feel like it sometimes, people do not actually “shed.”

You may, however, feel like you’re losing more hair at certain times, and this could simply be due to more of your hair going through the final telogen stage at once.

There are many perfectly natural reasons for losing a lot of hair at once, but first, let’s look deeper into the three stages of hair growth.

Anagen Phase

At the base of the follicle, the hair bulb actively produces a protein called keratin that pushes the existing hair shaft up and out of the scalp. This process is known as the “growing” period, or the anagen stage, and is the longest of the three. The anagen phase typically lasts for 2 to 6 years. However, it's important to note that the length of the anagen phase can vary among individuals. Genetics can play a large role in how long the anagen stage lasts, as well as the condition of your scalp, haircare, and overall health. The wrong haircare products can weaken the hair follicles and lead to a shorter anagen phase.

In contrast to the hair on your scalp, your eyebrows and eyelashes have very short anagen phases, days versus years, which explains why they’re so much shorter.
Let’s do some math here: if you have a shorter anagen cycle of two years or less, and hair typically grows six inches a year—you can theoretically grow twelve inches of hair in that time.

That means someone with an anagen cycle of eight years could potentially grow hair four times that length! Of course, this is just illustrative, but as you can see, if you want to grow really long and lush hair, you’ll need to focus on your anagen cycle.

Catagen Phase

The “resting” phase of hair growth is called the catagen phase. This is when your hair is transitioning from anagen and growth to telogen and normal shedding. The time period for this is very short and only lasts a couple of weeks. 

The follicle regresses, narrows, and shrinks, which reduces the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the hair shaft. The hair shaft becomes disconnected from the hair bulb, ceasing further growth and losing its anchor within the scalp. 

During catagen, all hair growth has stopped. The outer root sheath then adheres to the root of the hair to become what is known as “club hair” because of the club shape it forms.

It’s completely normal to see a few club hairs in your brush as opposed to broken hairs, and this can even help you determine if you’re shedding hair naturally or if it’s breaking prematurely.

Telogen Phase

Following the dormant phase, the follicle enters what is the final shedding phase. Below the surface, the hair follicle undergoes a transition as it prepares for the next cycle. Towards the end of the telogen phase, the hair shaft is gradually pushed out of the follicle. During this phase, your club hair will fall out or “shed.” You can tell its club hair by the dry, white “club” at the ends.

The duration of the telogen phase typically lasts for around 2 to 4 months. It's important to note that individual hair follicles enter the telogen phase at different times, which is why a mix of growing and shedding hairs is normal at any given time.

It's perfectly normal for your hair cycles to fluctuate based on external factors. Things like stress and an abrupt change in your diet can cause enough of a shock for this to happen. The key takeaway is that disruptions in your hair cycle are manageable.

Once the hair has fallen out, the anagen cycle will begin again, and new hair will begin to grow. You can help give your new hair a healthy start by adding a product like Hair La Vie’s Revitalizing Hair Blend Vitamins to your haircare regimen.

Factors that affect hair cycling

Several factors can impact the duration of each phase of the hair cycling process. Your genetics determine the general length of the growth phase, while age influences the overall duration of hair growth cycles, with shorter growth cycles as you age. Hormonal imbalances and nutrition play a crucial role, as a balanced diet supports healthy hair follicles. 

Understanding and addressing these factors are important for promoting optimal hair growth.

How long does hair cycling take?

Each phase has a different duration, and the entire process can vary from person to person. The anagen phase is the active growth phase, lasting around 2 to 6 years on the scalp. The catagen phase is a transitional stage that lasts approximately 2 to 3 weeks, and the telogen phase is the resting phase, lasting around 2 to 4 months. All in all, you want to be clued into your body and aware of different factors that may contribute to your hair cycle and your hair journey, especially when trying new hair products. Always remember that it's important to be consistent for at least 90 days.

Final thoughts

Knowing the three stages of hair growth gives you a deeper understanding of how your hair functions and how incredibly vital the anagen phase is. 

If you’re looking to give your hair the jumpstart it deserves, it's important to keep all this in mind. The good news is your hair will continue to grow—it just takes time and the right products.