Hair Loss in Women: How Hair Grows

This article was written specifically for women. While there is no doubt there are many men who care very much about their hair loss, severe hair loss can be a devastating experience for a woman. The fact remains that bald women are not the norm. Bald(ing) men, on the other hand, have lots of company and it’s considered perfectly normal, if not sexy, for a man to have this condition. A bald man doesn't receive a second glance.

From the author’s personal hair loss ordeal and hence the endless hours of research to resolve the issue, it can be said that:

one can find factual descriptions of the different types of hair loss but there are relatively few commonly accepted facts about the underlying causes of hair loss.

there are far too many clueless doctors who really don’t know much about hair loss but pretend they do and a lot of hair loss “experts” who disagree.

treatments for the matter are literally rather hit or miss affairs however there's associate endless parade of “specialists” willing to sell you their newest miracle cure.

in general, there area unit a huge quantity of contradictions relating to the whole subject.

Despite all this, it's best to learn of the facts that area unit out there, and therefore the additional someone affected by hair loss reads and learns regarding the matter, the quicker it'll be to regulate or cure it. Of course, to grasp hair loss, it's vital to initial perceive however hair grows.

How Hair Grows 

A human scalp has around a hundred,000 hair follicles; someone is born with the full range of follicles they'll have throughout their life. Blondes usually have the foremost hair, averaging one hundred forty,000 hairs, brunettes and folks with black hair regarding one hundred ten,000 hairs and redheads regarding ninety,000 hairs. Hair grows regarding .3 to .4mm per day, 1/2 in. per month or around six inches per year.

While hair itself is made up of extruded, compacted dead cells, the scalp is composed of living follicles. Each hair follicle has four distinct phases it cycles through on a regular basis:

1. Anagen is the active or growth phase (which can actually be subdivided further into the proanagen, mesanagen and metanagen phases). Approximately 85% of the scalp's hairs are in this phase at any one time. The phase for each anagen hair lasts from two to six years.
2. Catagen is the transition phase in which hairs begin to break down and lasts from one to two weeks.
3. Telogen is the resting phase in which hairs prepare to shed. Typically 10% to 15% of the scalp’s hairs are in this phase at any one time. This phase lasts from two to four months.
4. Ketogen, an only recently recognized fourth phase, occurs between the Telogen and new Anagen phase (depicted in the 4th box, "Return to Anagen"). This new phase is the period during which the hair follicle appears empty until the new hair protrudes from the scalp.

Alopecia areata (AA) is believed to be a symptom of an autoimmune disorder that occurs when a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. Hair loss may result in clumps of hair falling out, leaving round, shiny, smooth bald spots on the scalp. If the hair loss causes a person to go bald, the disorder is then called alopecia totalis; hair loss over the entire body is referred to asalopecia universalis. Hair regrowth depends on the severity of the loss. For some people, hair will grow back within a matter of months or years while others may endure fluctuating hair regrowth and loss for the rest of their lives.

Anagen is that the active or growth part (which will truly be divided any into the proanagen, mesanagen and metanagen phases). more or less eighty fifth of the scalp's hairs area unit during this part at anyone time. The part for every anagen hair lasts from 2 to 6 years.

Catagen is that the transition introduce that hairs begin to interrupt down and lasts from one to 2 weeks.

Telogen is that the resting introduce that hairs prepare to shed. generally 100% to fifteen of the scalp’s hairs area unit during this part at anyone time. This part lasts from 2 to four months.

Ketogen, associate solely recently recognized fourth part, happens between the Telogen and new Anagen part (depicted within the fourth box, "Return to Anagen"). This new part is that the amount throughout that the follicle seems empty till the new hair protrudes from the scalp.

A full cycle will last anyplace from 2 to seven years per vesicle, and every vesicle can complete between ten to twenty cycles during a life. however once hair follicles become stuck within the Telogen part, uncommon hair loss and/or dilution happens. Losing fifty to a hundred hairs per day is ...normal; losing over a hundred hairs per day might indicate the presence of a hair loss downside.

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Adrian Kustra