Stages of the Hair Growth Cycle

As new hair is manufactured in the follicle, it pushes out the hair shaft, creating longer hair. Hair grows about 0.3mm to 0.4mm each day, which adds up to around six inches per year.

However, not all of the hair follicles are growing new hair at the same time. Hair growth occurs in a cycle. At any given time, each strand is in a different part of the cycle. It’s a good thing that each of our hair’s cycles are not in sync, otherwise we would shed all of our hair at once!

The Phases of the Hair Growth Cycle

The hair cycle is made up of four phases: the anagen phase, the catagen phase, the telogen phase and the exogen phase.

Anagen (Hair Growth) Phase

The anagen, or growing, phase is the first part of the hair growth cycle. During the anagen phase, cells of the bulb divide rapidly, resulting in new hair growth. Eighty to 90% of hair follicles are in the anagen phase at any given time.

The anagen phase lasts somewhere between two and seven years. The length of the anagen phase determines the maximum hair length. For example, people who have very long hair have a very long anagen phase. Eyelashes, eyebrows, and body hair have shorter growth phases than for the hair on your head, which is why they are much shorter than scalp hair. There are many factors that influence the length of the anagen phase, including genetics, nutrition, age and overall health.

Catagen (Transition) Phase

After the hair growth phase enters the catagen phase. This short, transitional phase only lasts two to three weeks. During the catagen phase, the hair stops growing and detaches itself from the blood supply. The hair becomes what is known as a club hair.

Telogen (Resting) Phase

The telogen, or resting, phase follows the catagen phase. During the telogen phase, the club hair rests while a new hair begins to grow beneath it. This new hair will eventually take the place of the club hair. The telogen phase lasts for three months, and 10-15% of all hairs are in this phase at any one time.

Exogen (Hair Shedding) Phase

The exogen, or hair shedding, phase is the last part of the hair cycle. During the exogen phase, the resting club hair detaches and falls out. Every hair eventually sheds, and it’s completely normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs each day.

In fact, the exogen phase is why you’ll frequently see hairs in your shower drain or on your hair brush. You should only be concerned if there’s a sudden change and many more hairs than usual are falling out.

After the exogen phase, the follicle then returns to the anagen phase and the cycle repeats.