General Hair Loss Facts

There are many reasons and causes for hair loss, but there are also claims and statements made by some people that may not be true. We want you to be properly informed about hair loss. Learn about the following facts on hair loss:

• Normal hair loss
• How hair grows
• How baldness occurs

Facts About Normal Hair Loss

• It is normal to lose up to 100 hairs from the head each day
• Each hair on the head grows for about 4-8 years before being shed
• Scalp hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm (just under 1/2 an inch) a month
• We each have 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on the scalp

Published by:
Richard L. De ViIIez, MD
Associate Professor
Division of Dermatology
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, Texas

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How Hair Grows

Below the surface of the skin is the hair root, which is enclosed within a hair follicle. At the base of the hair follicle is the Papilla. The Papilla is fed by the bloodstream, which carries nourishment to produce new hair. The dermal papilla is a structure very important to hair growth because it contains receptors for androgens. Androgens regulate hair growth and in scalp hair Androgens may cause the hair follicle to get progressively smaller and the hairs to become finer in individuals who are genetically predisposed to hair loss.

Hair follicles grow in repeated cycles. One cycle can be broken down into three phases.

1) Anagen - Growth Phase
2) Catagen - Transitional Phase
3) Telogen - Resting PhaseAnagen Phase - Growth Phase

Anagen Phase - Growth Phase

Approximately 85% of all hairs are in the growing phase at any one time. The Anagen phase varies from two to six years, with hairs growing at a rate of about 10cm per year. It is unlikely that any individual hair will grow more than one meter long.

Catagen Phase - Transitional Phase

At the end of the Anagen phase the hairs enter into a Catagen phase which lasts about one or two weeks, during the Catagen phase the hair follicle shrinks to about 1/6 of the normal length. The lower part is destroyed and the dermal papilla breaks away.

Telogen Phase - Resting Phase

The resting phase follows the catagen phase and normally lasts about 5-6 weeks. During this time the hair does not grow but stays attached to the follicle while the dermal papilla stays in a resting phase below. Approximately 10-15 percent of all hairs are in this phase at an one time.

At the end of the Telogen phase the hair follicle re-enters the Anagen phase. The dermal papilla and the base of the follicle join together again and a new hair begins to form. If the old hair has not already been shed the new hair pushes the old one out and the growth cycle starts all over again.

Reference: www.HairLossPharmacy.com,
on "The Hair Growth Cycle"

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How Baldness Occurs

If any of the stages of hair growth are disrupted, the individual may become bald. For example, if follicles shut down (meaning that they stay in the resting phase, and then shed the hair) instead of growing new hairs, there will be less hair on the head. Another reason might be interference with the formation of new hair cells at the root during the growing phase. If follicles have been destroyed (i.e., a burn, loss of layered skin or trauma), there will be baldness in that area. An individual can also look bald if the hairs are growing but are so fragile that they break just as they emerge from the follicle.

Recently, scientists at Columbia University in New York announced the discovery of a gene that appears to be the 'master switch' for hair growth. They found the gene after comparing the genes of hairless mice belonging to a mutant breed, and comparing the genes of 11 members of a family who had lost all their hair. This discovery is a step towards understanding how the hair follicle works and how baldness happens, and may lead to effective treatments becoming available in the future.

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