Understanding the Hair Growth Cycle: Why It Matters for Hair Health

Every hair on your head is on its own journey through a complex growth cycle. Understanding this cycle helps explain why hair health strategies take time—and why supporting your scalp is so important.

The Three Phases of Hair Growth

1. Anagen Phase (Growth Phase)

This is the active growth period when hair follicles are producing new hair cells.

• - Duration: 2-7 years (varies by genetics)
• What's Happening: Hair grows approximately 1 cm (about half an inch) per month
• Why It Matters: The longer hair stays in anagen, the longer it can grow

About 85-90% of your hair is in this phase at any given time. Factors that support a healthy anagen phase include good nutrition, scalp circulation, and cellular energy.

2. Catagen Phase (Transition Phase)

A brief transitional period signaling the end of active growth.

• - Duration: About 2-3 weeks
• What's Happening: The hair follicle shrinks and detaches from the blood supply
• Why It Matters: This is a natural part of the cycle—it's not damage or disease

Only about 1-2% of hair is in catagen at any time.

3. Telogen Phase (Resting Phase)

The follicle rests while the old hair is retained.

• - Duration: About 3 months
• What's Happening: The follicle is dormant; the old hair stays in place
• Why It Matters: At the end of this phase, the hair sheds to make room for new growth

About 10-15% of hair is in telogen at any time.

Normal Hair Shedding

Losing 50-100 hairs per day is completely normal—these are hairs that have completed their cycle. What matters isn't that you lose hair, but that new hair grows to replace it.

What Can Disrupt the Cycle?

• Several factors can push more hair into the resting or shedding phase:
• Stress (physical or emotional)
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Hormonal changes
• Illness
• Poor scalp health
• Certain medications

Supporting a Healthy Hair Growth Cycle

Nutrition Hair follicles are among the most metabolically active cells in your body. They need: - Protein (hair is made of keratin) - Iron - Biotin - Zinc - Vitamins A, C, D, and E

Scalp Health A healthy scalp provides the environment for healthy hair growth. This includes: - Good circulation - Clean but not over-stripped - Balanced oil production

Cellular Energy This is where technology like red light therapy becomes relevant. By supporting cellular energy production (ATP) in hair follicle cells, you're giving those cells the resources they need to function optimally throughout the growth cycle.

The Time Factor

Here's the crucial point: because of the growth cycle's length, any intervention takes months to show visible results. Whether it's a new supplement, treatment, or technology, you need to be consistent for at least 3-6 months to see changes.

This isn't a limitation—it's biology. Understanding this helps set realistic expectations and maintain consistency with your hair care routine.

The Bottom Line

Your hair growth cycle is a sophisticated biological process that's constantly renewing your hair. By supporting this cycle through good nutrition, scalp care, and technologies like photobiomodulation, you're working with your body's natural processes rather than against them.

*Patience and consistency are the keys to hair health.*