What makes hair growth?

Did you know that an average person have around 5 million hair follicles, of those 100.000 follicles reside on your scalp. Hair cycles through three different phases: the anagen phase (growth phase), the catagen phase (transition phase) and the telogen phase (the resting phase).

The Anagen Phase

During the Anagen Phase blood flow starts to build up at the base of the follicle and feeding oxygen to specialized stem cells. These cells then start dividing rapidly and produce keratinocytes, which form the root of the hair. The expanding mass of keratinocytes pushes towards the surface of the skin, as the cells die they release a protein called keratin which hold the strand of hair together. Eventually the hair pops out of the skin. During the Anagen phase the hair can grow up to 1.25 CM each month. The hair on the scalp remains in the anagen phase for 2 to 6 years.

The Catagen Phase

This phase lasts about two weeks. During this phase the blood supply at the bottom of the follicle is cut off, this stops the new production of keratinocytes. The follicle shrinks to 6 times its original size. The hair becomes detached from the follicle and will slowly be pushed out of the scalp. Eventually the hair is lost.

The Telogen Phase

During this phase the follicle remains dormant for 1-4 months. Eventually the hair is shed, and after the telogen phase the anagen phase starts again.