Healthy hair is sexy and a sign of health. Normal changes in hormones, stress and hair damage can cause your hair to thin and change its normal growth cycle. Hair grows in cycles. It has a growth cycle, called anagen, and a resting phase, called telogen. Telogen can last up to four months. During the resting phase, hair grows less than ½ inch each month. When the hair strand falls out, the growth stage begins. Hair shedding, rapid hair growth and changes in the color of your roots are all signs of new hair growth.
Hair Shedding
The hair growth-loss cycle follows a repeatable pattern. It grows at a healthy rate during the growth phase and then goes into a resting state. This state, or telogen, slows the rate of growth and ends when the hair falls out after two to four months, according to the MayoClinic.com. The first sign of hair growth is the shedding hair. Everyone loses from 50 to 100 hairs daily. These hairs are in the resting stage. Once they fall out, the growth phase begins.
Rapid Hair Growth
In telogen, the rate of hair growth is ½ inch or less a month. When the growth phase begins, the hair will start growing faster, causing an initial growth spurt. This is an easy sign to detect.
Peach Fuzz
Only 10 percent of your hair is in transition at any given time. When new hair starts to grow on the scalp, it will be short and fuzzy. Depending on how many new strands are growing, the scalp can have a soft fuzzy feeling when you rub your fingers over the new growth areas. This may be hard to feel, but if you rub your fingers through your hair gently focusing on the root area, little patches of peach fuzz will be apparent where the new growth is starting. This is the same feeling as with new hair growth after chemotherapy or new growth on a bald head.
Tapered Ends
New hair has tapered ends, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. When you notice the ends of your hair are tapered, this is a sign of new hair growth. The hair will continue to grow with a constant diameter.
Root Color Changes
If you color your hair, the roots will be lighter or darker depending on the natural color of your hair when it starts to grow. The roots will also look healthier as they are new hair that has not been exposed to sun and other environmental damages.
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