Your hair grows an average of about half an inch per month, but not all of the hair grows at any one time. While roughly 85 percent of the hair on the head is growing, the remainder is either resting or in a short transition period when the growing is complete. Each hair follicle will pass through all three stages approximately 20 times during your lifetime.
Anagen Phase
The anagen phase, also called the growing phase, will last between two to seven years. This is when the hair is healthy and actively growing. Each strand of hair is attached to a hair follicle, and the follicle in this phase is receiving the nutrients needed to grow hair. At the end of the hair follicle is the dermal papilla which draws blood from the bloodstream and passes it on to the hair follicle.
Catagen Phase
The catagen phase, or the transition phase, occurs at the end of the growth phase and lasts just several weeks. When hair enters the catagen phase, the hair follicle shrinks to roughly 15 percent of its original size. The dermal papilla detaches itself from the hair follicle and essentially goes into a resting phase. Less than 5 percent of hair will be in this phase at any one time.
Telogen Phase
The telogen phase is also known as the resting phase, as the hair follicle is in a resting state. Hair is still attached to the follicle, but since the dermal papilla--the bringer of nutrients--is still unattached from the follicle, the hair will not grow. This phase will last approximately three months, during which time 25 to 100 hairs will be shed daily. The telogen phase will end when the dermal papilla and the hair follicle reconnect and begin to create a new strand of hair. If the hair in the follicle has not been shed, it will be pushed out by the new strand of forming hair, and the growth cycle will begin once again.
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