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The average
human being has about 100,000 hairs to 150,000 hairs on
his or her scalp growing an average of ½" every month.
Still, hair growth is different for everyone as is hair
loss. The average hair has a 3 to 6 year lifespan and
everybody sheds. It is perfectly normal to lose anywhere
from 50 to 100 hairs from your head everyday, but this
minor loss should hardly be noticeable and probably
never will be. Hair loss becomes a problem when it falls
out in clumps or large quantities over time. Over 40
million men and 20 million women in the United States
suffer from hair loss.
There are three accepted phases that describe the hair
growth process, and in turn, the process of hair loss.
These are the anagen phase, the catagen phase and the
telogen phase. At any one moment 90% of hair follicles
are in the active first phase, while the other 10% is
nearing the third phase when shedding occurs. This empty
follicle will not usually produce a new hair for another
6 months and so the cycle continues. When an excess of
the threatening hormone DHT is present in the scalp,
hair follicles increase their dormancy stage and slow
down the growth period stalling hair development.
Note that certain exceptions exist to explain how hair
can be lost for reasons other than the growth cycle. For
example, a hair follicle may be destroyed after a
traumatic experience such as a burn or sudden loss of
skin. This damage will render the follicle inactive and
therefore not be able to generate new hair. In addition,
it is normal for hair growth to slow with age. Shedding
will occur naturally, more frequently and little is
likely to grow back.
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