- The phases of our hair's life cycle

Published by Sekhmet Herbal in Informations · Thursday 20 Feb 2025 · 3:00
Tags: Sekhmet, Herbal, herbs, hair, hair, phases, growth, cycle, Anagen, Catagen, Telogen, hair, care

The cycles or phases of hair

It is important to understand hair cycles, as our hair can grow for 100 to 125 years. This is a long period of time, divided into 25 hair life phases lasting 4 to 5 years. On average, 50 to 100 hairs fall out every day, and these will be replaced by new ones.

The hair follicles will form a new hair, which will grow in several successive phases before falling out.

The life stages of our hair:

Hair growth
The hair cycle is divided into three main phases
Types of hair loss

Hair growth

Each hair grows independently in a hair follicle, and each of these hair follicles has its own life cycle. This means that each hair grows independently of other hairs.

So, if all our hair follicles worked in sync, our hair would all grow at the same time. This would mean that we would have periods when we were bald and others when we had lots of hair.

The hair cycle is divided into three main phases

There are three hair cycles: the growth phase or anagen, the transition phase or catagen, and the resting phase or telogen.

1. Hair cycles: growth phase or anagen phase.

This phase corresponds to the period during which hair grows and lasts between one and four years. During this phase, the hair bulb, located at the base of the hair follicle, regenerates and produces a hair. This hair grows on average one centimetre per month.

2. Hair cycles: catagen phase or transition phase

This phase lasts approximately two to three weeks. During this phase, hair fibre production ceases, meaning that the hair follicle retracts from the surface of the scalp. The hair stops growing and remains in this phase for several weeks before moving on to the telogen phase.

3. Hair cycles: telogen phase or hair loss

This is the third and final phase of the hair life cycle: the hair loss or resting phase. During this period, the hair no longer grows but remains attached to the follicle for about three months. After this phase, the hair falls out when we wash or brush our hair.

A new anagen phase then begins.

Thus, our hair does not grow continuously, but in successive cycles. Up to 90% of our hair is in the continuous growth phase, and 10% is in the shedding phase.

Types of hair loss

Excessive hair loss is not considered normal. It is a clear symptom of a dysfunction in the hair growth cycle. This is referred to as chronic or temporary hair loss. Its symptoms mainly include a lack of density, which can affect both men and women.

Chronicle: It generally affects men. It can be said that 50% of men over the age of 50 appear to suffer from androgenic alopecia. The hair follicle is more fragile because it is sensitive to steroid hormones.
Reactive fall: This mainly affects women. In most cases, it is a reaction to intense stress, extreme fatigue, hormonal changes due to pregnancy, menopause, etc. These various factors cause the hair fibre to thin, which precedes excessive hair loss.
Alopecia in women.

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