The Science Of Hair Growth
While everybody longs for Rapunzel-like long hair, most people do not know how hair grows. Interestingly, people are born with the exact amount of hair follicles that they would have throughout their lives. As people age, some follicles stop producing hair. This is how hair thinning takes place.
We have curated these interesting facts that will give you a better understanding of hair growth:
- Fact 1: A 22-week fetus has all of its hair follicles formed: Do you know by the time a fetus is 22 weeks, it has all of its hair follicles formed? Not just that, the fetus also has around 5 million hair follicles on the body. Just the head has around one million. Of this one million, 100k follicles are on the scalp. This is the maximum amount of hair follicles a human will ever have as the number of hair follicles does not change during the course of life.
- Fact 2: Hair growth undergoes three distinct phases: Hair growth happens in a cycle. It goes through three different stages to grow to its full length.
- The anagen phase: Most hair spend several years in this phase. During this phase, the hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. This phase of growth lasts for two to six years. People with very long hair have a long anagen phase.
- The catagen phase: During this phase, hair growth slows down. The catagen phase is a transitional stage. All hair at some point goes through this phase. This phase lasts for about two to three weeks. The hair growth stops and the outer root sheath shrinks.
- The telogen phase: This is the stage when new hair grows, pushing the old out. This phase lasts for about 3 to 4 months days for the hair on the scalp. Interestingly, the telogen phase for the body hair is longer, and thus, the hair on the arms, legs, and other parts are short.
- Fact 3: Hair follicles determine the growth, type, and color of your hair: The hair follicles are responsible for hair growth. They even influence the color of the hair and the way it looks. Interestingly, it is your hair follicles that determine how curly or straight your hair is. They hold the hair into the scalp. There are hair bulbs that form the base of the hair follicles. They are found at the root of the hair where the protein cells fuel hair growth. The blood vessels nourish these cells to boost hair growth.
- Fact 4: Hair shafts are made up of dead cells: The hair shaft is the part of your hair that is visible above your scalp. The interesting fact about hair shafts is that they are made up of dead cells. It is made of a protein called keratin which acts as a binding agent. Keratin is very strong and resistant to wear and tear. There are no nerve connectors to the hair shaft which explains why we do not feel any pain whilst our hair is being cut.
For healthy hair, healthy scalp is a must: Use our hair tonic
Now, that you have understood the science behind hair growth, you may have also realised the importance of a healthy scalp that supports the growth of hair follicles. By giving your scalp the much-needed nutrients, you can keep your hair healthy from within. Eating nutritious food, regular oil massage, using a hydrating scalp tonic can prevent hair thinning and premature greying. Loaded with the goodness of Ashwagandha and Jojoba, our scalp tonic gives your scalp an extra dose of nourishment. This scalp tonic can be used daily. If you have any specific hair concerns, book our one-on-one consultation without hair experts.