A repetitive cycle determines when and how hair grows. It all begins in the follicle and is made up of three phases. The first phase is called the 'anagen phase'. This is a period of strand production that lasts anywhere between two years to five years and produces ½" of growth per month. The second phase is called the 'catagen phase'. This stage is transitional and is where the follicle takes a rest. The base of the hair removes itself from the blood supply pushing the entire shaft up. This process can go on for several days. The last and third phase is called the 'telogen phase'. This is the inevitable, but dreaded, stage when hair falls out at up to fifty to one-hundred strands a day. Growth stops altogether for around three to five months. Follicles eventually regenerate and sprout new hair, therefore repeating the cycle once again. In a situation where disruptive factors may interfere, the cycle may not reoccur leading to premature hair loss and baldness.

Understanding hair growth is a large part of why it falls out. The part of the hair that we see is called the shaft and it protrudes from the follicle. The follicle is a tube-like pocket of epidermis that is located just below the skin's surface. It is absolutely essential to hair growth because the hair is actually rooted in the base of the pouch. Also, the thickness of each hair shaft is determined by the size of the follicle. The root is the area in each follicle where blood capillaries are found. The blood capillaries nourish the hair and encourage growth. Hair is essentially made up of a collection of rapidly dividing cells and the base of the hair is close enough to the capillaries for these cells to be living. New cells forming at the root push the hair out of the follicle far enough for it to harden and undergo pigmentation. The shafts are eventually separated from nourishment and die. Each hair outside the skin is made up of dead tissue called 'keratin,' which combined with other proteins make up our nails and outer layer of skin.

Be patient. Hair loss can be quite a shock to the system and it may take time for the body to get back on track. Overcoming hair loss can take awhile, from six months to over a year, and can be a physically and emotionally stressful process. Be prepared for the possibility that your new hair may look different at first than what your original was. Sometimes it can grow back a different color, white or gray, because the pigment is still stabilizing. This should eventually correct itself and your hair should return to its natural shade. New hair may also return finer or of a texture that you don't recognize. The same principle applies here. In time, your hair may return to its natural texture and thickness.