Hair Structure
According to the website hairrestorationadvice.com, pilosebaceous system is the technical name for the portion of the skin which grows hair. The main parts of this system are the hair follicle, which is what actually makes hair, the hair shaft itself, and a set of cells (called the papilla) which basically give nutrients to the hair follicle. Most hair follicles also have a small gland which secretes oils to help waterproof the hair (this is called a sebaceous gland). Hair can serve a number of purposes, from camouflage to a network to help with cooling. Some hairs also have a complex network of nerves associated with them, allowing the hair to provide important tactile information about the surrounding environment.
Hair Follicle Life Cycle
Hair will grow back, even if it is torn out at its roots, because the hair follicle survives. (Electrolysis and other permanent hair removal processes kill the follicle. The hair cycle is divided up into three different sections: anagen, catagen, and telogen and lasts for 6 to 10 years. Hair follicles spend 90 percent of their time in anagen, which is when the follicle is actively making hair. Catagen is a controlled regression of the hair follicle and only lasts 14 to 21 days. Telogen lasts for slightly longer, 30 to 60 days, and is a period of rest for the hair follicle, after which it re-enters anagen.
Hair Restoration
Hair restoration products generally target the hormone DHT. When testosterone is converted by a protein called 5-alpha reductase, it is turned into DHT. When DHT is created, it can bind to the papilla of hair follicles. As a result, the papilla begins to supply fewer nutrients to the hair follicle, causing the hair follicles to spend less time in anagen and more time in telogen (their resting phase). In addition, DHT causes the hairs that the hair follicle makes to be smaller and finer, making what hair is there to be harder to see. Many medications that promote hair regrowth, such as Propecia, attempt to reduce the amount of DHT, which allows the hair follicles to return to their normal life cycle.
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