Hair Length Myths - The Long and Short of it

The Truth
The hair growth cycle is in three stages; the Anagen phase, the Catagen phase and the Telogen phase. The first stage called the anagen phase is the phase of active hair growth. In This phase hair grows from the hair follicle (these are the tiny holes that hair can be seen growing from) on average 0.33 mm/per day, which is about 10.5mm ( or approximately 1cm) per month. The length of the anagen phase varies from 2-7 years, and between 80-90% of hair on the hair on the scalp is in the anagen phase at any one time (there are over one hundred thousand hairs on the scalp) After the growing phase the follicle then enters the catagen phase. This phase lasts for approximately two weeks. Approximately 1% of hair on the scalp is in this phase at any one time. The final stage is the Telogen Phase. This is the resting phase of the growth cycle, and lasts for approximately three to four months. When the resting stage is complete the cycle begins again. As the new hair grows up the follicle it pushes out the old telogen hair. Everyday about 100 scalp hairs are shed per day, these are old telogen hairs.

Ok now the science is over let me clarify a few things. If your anagen phase is only a few years long the likely hood of your hair sweeping the floor is very slim, if however your anagen phase hair growth is years long up to 7 years, then you could have potentially very long hair (as I mentioned earlier the length to which your hair grows is genetic, so if you have hair that can grow below your shoulders you have inherited genes that allow your hair to grow for a good number of years in the anagen phase). But what about people, who have dreads/locks, how is it that their hair can grow so long? I hear you ask. Well the long and short of it, is the fact that the hair that should have dropped out in the telogen phase can't as it is waxed together with the new hair from the anagen phase. So you get hair that should have naturally fallen out being stuck to new hair, which makes it seem like the person could have hair that has a long anagen phase growth cycle.

But fear not ladies and gents whatever the length of your hair it can still look its best with TLC, It's not all about how long your hair is, it's about how good and healthy it looks. So start with a good diet, regular trims and the best hair products on the market-'Roots2Ends Natural Hair Pomade!'

Tags: four months, hair follicle, long hair, new hair, shoulders, truth