In order to keep your hair growth consistent and healthy, it’s important to understand the various stages of the hair growth cycle. Read on for a breakdown of each phase, and get to know your strands a little better.
What is the hair growth cycle?
Hair growth is a complex process that involves four distinct stages: anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen. The first three phases cover the growth and maturation of hair, and the final phase covers the shedding of hair.
Each stage plays a crucial role in the growth and shedding of hair.
Stage 1. Anagen phase of hair growth
The anagen phase is the active growth phase of hair. During this stage, your hair follicles are simply pushing out the hairs until they are cut or fall out at the end of their lifespan.
This phase can last anywhere from three to five years, depending on genetics and other factors. This makes it the longest phase in the hair growth cycle. For some people, one single head hair could carry on growing for over seven years. However, hair elsewhere on the body (such as eyebrow hairs) have a much shorter anagen phase. At any one time, roughly 90% of your hair is in the anagen growth cycle of hair.
Something to be mindful of is that stress can increase the amount of time your hair spends in the resting phases, where hair isn’t growing. To keep your hair growing, try to minimise stress levels through exercise or meditation.
Stage 2. Catagen phase of hair growth
The catagen stage of the hair cycle is when the hair follicles shrink, which slows down the growth cycle of hair. The strands of hair lift from the bottom of the follicle but remain in place for the final days of growth.
Once the anagen stage of the hair growth cycle ends, the catagen phase begins, and usually lasts around 10 days. Due to the stage being so brief, only around 5% of head hairs are in the catagen stage at one time.
Stage 3. Telogen phase of hair growth
The telogen cycle of hair growth is when hair actually stops growing but doesn’t fall out. New hairs also begin to form within the follicles that have released previous hairs during the catagen phase.
This part of the growth cycle of hair lasts for about three months, and usually around 10-15% of your scalp hairs are in this phase at once.
Did you know that hair thinning and hair loss is caused when the hair growth cycle is disrupted? This can be due to illness and certain metabolic conditions, or even an unhealthy or restrictive diet. Ensure you’re consuming enough vitamins, iron, fibre and protein to keep your hair healthy.
Stage 4. Exogen phase of hair growth
The exogen stage of hair growth is the beginning of the hair shedding cycle phase, where hair falls out – often encouraged by washing and brushing. It’s normal to lose fifty to one hundred hairs each day during this stage.
The exogen phase is an extension of the telogen stage, and roughly lasts from two months to five months.
How can invati help the hair growth cycle?
A dry scalp damages hair follicles and prevents healthy hair growth, but fear not, our invati advanced™ range is ideal for keeping your scalp healthy, and therefore your hair follicles. Take our invati advanced™ intensive hair and scalp masque, for example – this masque is enriched with a blend of plant oils to deeply nourish the scalp. Our exfoliating rich shampoo also nourishes and gently exfoliates the scalp for a soft, smooth and hydrated afterfeel.
The whole invati advanced™range focuses on keeping your scalp and hair healthy for long-lasting growth and thickness The invati advanced™ set is an innovative system that includes an exfoliating shampoo, thickening conditioner and scalp revitaliser. It also comes in two versions, light and rich.
Understanding the hair growth cycle is essential for maintaining healthy and luscious locks. By using the right products at the right time, you can promote healthy hair growth and prevent hair loss.