Introduction
According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, most human heads contain 100,000 hairs at any time. From these hairs, an estimated 100 fall out each day for the normal person. This is part of the body's natural process of shedding older hair to make room for continuous new growth.
Growth Phase
Hair growth and loss begins with the hair follicle. Hair follicles are a tiny tube of cells that open up to the surface of the skin. In this follicle, you can find the root and shaft of the hair. The root lies an estimated 3 millimeters below the skin, and each root produces a single strand of hair at a time. Connected to the root is a structure called the papilla. This is where the hair follicle accesses the bloodstream to receive the necessary components for hair growth to occur. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, at any time, 90 percent of your hair is currently in an active (anagen) growth phase. This phase can last between 2 and 6 years.
Transitional Phase
Once your hair follicle has reached the end of its growing stage, it enters the transitional (catagen) stage. During this stage the hair follicle reduces in size and its lower part is destroyed. The papilla then breaks off from the blood supply. This phase usually lasts between 1 and 2 weeks.
Resting Phase
Once the blood supply has been removed, the hair follicle enters the resting (telogen) phase. During this time, the hair no longer grows. This phase can last up to 6 weeks, after which the hair follicle will return to the growth phase. It is common for the hair to fall out sometime during the resting phase. If the hair has not been shed, the new growing hair will push the old hair out of the follicle.
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