What Is Normal About Hair Loss

It is important to note that shedding of hairs is a natural process with anything from 100 to 300 hairs randomly shed each day. In this article we’ll look at two distinct aspects of normal hair loss. Firstly, we’ll examine what is actually involved in the hair growth cycle. Secondly, we’ll assess the natural progression of hair loss over time.

Hair is composed of long, twisted keratin fibers that are protected by a coating of keratinized cells. Just below the surface of the skin lies a cluster of active cells known as the dermal papilla and it is from here that the hair grows into its follicle.

This growing fiber eventually hardens and grows out from the scalp. At this stage the hair fiber is dead with only the root tip containing living cells.

In a little more detail, the hair growth cycle, consists of three distinct stages:

1. Anagen stage – a phase of growth that can last between two and seven years. On average, each hair grows about six inches (15cm) per year.

2. Catagen stage – a phase of transition that lasts roughly two to four weeks. At this time the hair shaft detaches from the dermal papilla and moves up within a shrinking follicle.

3. Telogen stage – a resting period that lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself from the follicle before falling out. After this, the cycle repeats itself unless other factors intervene to prevent repetition of the cycle.

Clearly time has a role to play in the development of hair loss for both men and women. Humans are born with varying amounts of soft and fine body hair. Through time some of this hair becomes stronger and develops further characteristics such as colour and texture. Up to the onset of puberty the hairline is characterized by a low spread across the forehead. For men, this continues only for a few more years.

As men progress through their twenties the hairline takes on a more mature look typified by recessions to the frontal temporal regions and accompanied by slight thinning elsewhere. This concave appearance doesn’t necessarily equate to premature balding as it is all a question of degree.

The Norwood Scale is an extremely useful tool in developing a hair growth strategy as it allows you to establish your own degree of hair loss in a way that is understood by physicians and other hair loss experts. More importantly, it can help to set your mind at rest and allow you to differentiate between normal hair loss that does not require remedial action and more extreme loss that calls for immediate action.

Cycle Of Hair Growth And Information About Follicles

At any Stage of our life, only 10% of hair is in resting phase. They Fall off in 2-3 months and the new hair grows in a total time of 2-6 years. About 90% of the hair grows on our scalp at a time and They grow at a rate of 1 cm. per month.

Normally hair lasts for two to four years in men and four to six years in Women.

Hair Internal Structure : Deep Inside The hair follicle, the hair forms inside a hair bulb and protrube and grow outside.

Any Method of hair improvements like shampooing, conditioning, cutting, sun exposure does not effect the rate of grwth of the hair.

There Are 3 phases of hair growth –

1. Anagen which takes a time of about 1000 days or 3 years.

2. Catagen lasting for 10 days.

3. Tologen for nearly 3 months.

Anagen includes the start of growth of hair and Tologen is the end i.e. trhe shedding phase of hair. The Hair bulb goes on coming outside from the start to the shedding phase. Hair groth is effected by the seasonal changes, i.e. hair grows more quicker in winter than in summer as a result of the seasonal change. In the Catagen phase, Hair growth is stopped for a small time and no pigment is produced at this time.

The time of Anagen Phase is usually fixed and and is determined genetically and is also responsible for the length of the hair. The no. of Hair Follicles in a human head counts approximately 100,000. Each Follicle produces hair for about 20 times in the lifetime. In a new born baby, the hair follicles grow hair in a Unison, i.e. all at a same time but as time passes, the follicles produce hairs at different times.

If a hair is Plucked from the head, the follicle is not ruptured but it starts to produce a new hair. As age increases, the shedding of follicles is evidently seen in most of the people in the top of the head and also in the forehead. The Hair does not grow in a definite straight manner but makes the follicle to stand in some constant angle. Depending on this angle, the Hair are always set to lie. The Stream is usually in a twisted manner but it is then influenced by the way of combing of hair by people.

Finally, Hair grows at a slow rate, so utmost care is needed to prevent them from shedding.