The Four Phases of Hair Growth
The first three stages of hair growth are known as anagen, catagen, and telogen. At last, in the exogen phase, the "old" hair is shed, making way for the growth of new hair and the reinitiation of the cycle. The length of time spent in each stage varies and is affected by a variety of variables, including but not limited to age, lifestyle, and overall health.
Does your hair really undergo changes on a regular basis?
We may imagine our hair to be fixed in place, but in reality, our hair is constantly growing and changing. Hair growth and loss are continuous processes, but they are so slow that we rarely take notice. Acknowledging the four stages of hair growth is the first step in creating a hair care routine that works with your hair, as these processes have a significant effect on the way our hair looks and feels.
Different aspects of our lives and environments affect our hair health and hair appearance in different ways at different ages. Age and climate are two of the more obvious ones, but there are others, such as diet, hormone unbalance, stress, and medication, that also play a role. Given the wide range of variables at play, it's safe to say that improving hair health isn't a simple matter of changing one's routine. A full head of healthy hair takes time and commitment to a certain lifestyle, and even then, it is not always in our control, but one thing is for sure, there will be improvements!
There are, on the other hand, practices that can be beneficial to our follicles and scalp and promote good hair growth at any stage. Let's take a look at the four stages of hair growth, as well as the supportive treatments that can help encourage a full, luscious head of hair:
The Life Cycle of Your Hair
Anagen: Growing Phase
The active phase of hair is anagen when the cells in the hair's root are quickly dividing. A new hair grows in the follicle, pushing the club hair (a hair that has stopped growing) up and out.
Hair grows roughly 0.4 inches (1 cm) every 28 days during this phase. This active phase of hair growth lasts two to six years on the scalp.
Some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length because they have a short active growth phase.
The MAY11 Answer
Anagen phase for all types of scalp:
Our MAY11 Purifying Scalp Oil concentrated formula provides the essential nutrients to stimulate stronger and healthier hair growth for all types of hair. Evening primrose and castor oil are two of our most important ingredients. They both have antioxidant properties that improve the health of hair follicles and nourish the scalp from the inside out, which helps hair grow faster and better.
Catagen: Transition Phase
Catagen is the transitional phase that usually lasts two to three weeks. Around 3% of all hairs are in this phase at any given time. The outer root sheath shrinks and adheres to the hair root, halting growth. This is the beginning of the formation of what is known as “club hair,” preparing the hair to rest.
The MAY11 Answer
Catagen & Telogen for all types of hair:
The high-performing patented formula of our MAY11 Revitalizing Hair Oil (which comes in 3 versions) has been shown to support healthy hair growth from the roots to the ends at any stage of the hair cycle. Formulated with Jamaican Black Castor and Hemp Seed Oil as key ingredients, the blend delivers vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids to nourish and strengthen each hair strand. The natural sealing properties of this concentrated treatment naturally protect and lock in these nutrients. The hair becomes softer, stronger, and shiner, ensuring long-lasting benefits during rest.
Telogen: Resting Phase
The hair follicle is completely at rest throughout this phase, and the club hair is fully created. When you pull a hair out at this period, you'll find a solid, hard, dry, white substance at the root. Each day, between 25 to 100 telogen hairs are shed. The telogen phase lasts about three months on average, and about 10% to 15% of the hairs on your scalp are resting at any given time.
The MAY11 Answers
Catagen & Telogen for blonde colored- treated and bleached hair:
Bleaching and highlighting can cause damaged hair, but they do not cause hair to fall out. The process to lighten your hair color requires chemicals that force your hair cuticles to open and deplete your hair from nutrients leaving your hair lifeless and inelastic. Bleached hair's higher porosity enables the capacity to retain moisture.
Our MAY11 Blonde Restoring Hair Oil is a lightweight, deep-conditioning formula made with Rice Bran and Kiwi Oil as key ingredients. This specific formula created for colored-treated hair has the ability to reach the deepest, most damaged parts of the hair while restoring lushness and elasticity. The natural sealant properties of the oil then lock in the moisture, making the hair less porous and protecting colored hair from any stressors from the outside.
Exogen: Shedding phase
The exogen stage is simply a continuation of the telogen stage when hair is shed from the scalp. During this phase, it's normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs every day, which is often helped by washing and brushing.
The exogen phase can last anywhere from 2 to 5 months, allowing space for new hairs to grow in the follicles as old hairs fall out.
Consult a doctor if you notice that you're losing your hair at a faster rate than usual. An underlying condition that disrupts hair growth phases could be to blame, and treating it promptly could help slow hair loss and preserve the healthy hair you still have.
The exogen phase is inevitable, in order to get a new hair life cycle hair has to fall and leave the spot to new hair born.
The MAY11 Answer
Exogen phase for all types of scalp:
During the exogen phase, it’s important to maintain scalp hygiene in order to offer the perfect environment for new hair to grow. MAY11 Purifying Scalp Oil provides nutrients to the scalp while also preventing the build-up of dead skin cells or other anomalies such as dandruff and excess oil production. By keeping your scalp clean and well-fed, you create the right conditions for the hair growth cycle to start up again, stronger and healthier.
