Keep Your Hair Healthy Through Every Stage Of Hair Growth

Each hair on your head has a lifespan between 2-7 years. The strand grows and grows, even when you cut it.

After a few years, the deepest part of the hair follicle starts to break down and detach from the blood supply that nourishes its growth. It stops growing and falls outs, just as a new strand of hair is emerging in its place. And the cycle repeats.

This cycle has four stages:

  • Anagen – growing phase, 2-7 years
  • Catagen – transition phase, 1-2 weeks
  • Telogen – resting phase, 1-2 months
  • Exogen – shedding phase, 1-2 months

At any given time, 85-90% of your hair is in the anagen phase, 10-15% is in the telogen phase, and only about 5% is in the catagen phase.

While much of this process is out of your control, there are a few things you can do to help your hair maintain its health in every stage of growth.

Nourishing Growth

Your hair needs a nutritious blood supply during the anagen stage to nurture its growth. Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can contribute to hair thinning and loss.

Hair is mainly made of protein, so eating protein-rich foods should provide your hair follicles with the building blocks they need to keep growing strong. Foods such as:

  • green vegetables
  • beans
  • nuts and seeds
  • fish
  • lean meats

As your hair is exposed to pollution, UV radiation, smoking, and chemical treatments, reactive oxygen species are produced. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can help your cells neutralize these dangerous compounds before they can do damage.

Stressless Rest

You’ve probably heard the common idea that stress can make hair fall out, and there is some truth to it.

Emotional and physiological stress can cause hair follicles to conclude their anagen phase prematurely and shed sooner than usual.

If you feel overwhelmed and stressed out, you can help your hair by taking time to relax and recharge. If the stressor cannot be avoided, search for healthier ways to respond and recover, such as:

  • deep breathing, slow and low in your belly
  • meditation, yoga, or prayer
  • ask for help, counseling, or therapy
  • get more and higher quality sleep
  • exercise, sports, or dance

By learning strategies to manage your stress, you can give your hair follicles the best chance to stay healthy for longer.

Tender Loving Care

It’s natural for 50-100 hairs to shed each day – this is an essential part of the regeneration cycle. But if you don’t treat your hair with the gentleness it deserves, they might fall out before new follicles are ready to replace them.

  • Avoid, as much as possible, harsh chemicals and treatments such as dyeing, straightening, and perming that can damage and weaken your hair.
  • Turn down the heat. Very hot showers and blow-drying can make your hair more vulnerable.
  • Massage moisturizing creams into your scalp to prevent dry skin.

If you notice a concerning amount of shedding, consult your doctor. It could be an indication of an underlying disorder.