Hair loss is a part of your daily life, whether you realize it or not.
Hair loss is normal.
It is a natural part of the body's process of renewal.
The average human scalp covers about 120 square inches.
The scalp contains approximately 85,000 to 140,000 hairs, with an average of 100,000 hair follicles.
This number is fixed genetically for each individual.
New follicles cannot be produced.
All follicles present at birth will, unless subjected to unusual illness or injury, continue to grow for the life of the individual, even for those with very bald scalps.
Hair, which grows in cycles lasting from two to six years, is not as durable as the hair follicle.
The growing portion of the cycle is called the anagen phase.
At any given time, approximately 85 to 90 percent of all follicles are in the anagen or growth phase.
The average growth rate is around one centimeter per month.
As the end of the growth cycle approaches, the follicle begins to shrink, and keratin production slows down.
This catagen phase generally lasts for several weeks.
In the telogen or final phase, the growth of the hair strand stops, and the follicle shrinks around the end of the hair shaft.
The follicle will remain in this resting phase for several months.
During this time the root of the hair is held in place by the contracted follicle until it is pulled loose by combing or shampooing.
When hair manages to remain in the follicle through the telogen phase, it is finally pushed out in the anagen phase, when hair growth resumes.
Between 50 to 150 strands of hair are normally shed each day by most people.
If the hair is shampooed every two or three days, several hundred hairs may be lost through normal shedding with each shampoo.
It is important to understand the hair growth process if you have a hair loss problem.