The Science behind Hair Growth and Hair Loss

Each shaft of hair undergoes the hair growth cycle. It grows, rests, and then falls out. Usually, this cycle repeats approximately yearly. At any one time, about 90 percent of a person’s scalp hair keeps growing, a phase that lasts between two and six years. Ten percent of the scalp hair is within a resting phase that lasts between 2 to 3 months. At the end of the resting stage, the head of hair goes through a shedding phase.

Shedding fifty to one hundred strands of hair a day is recognized as normal. Whenever a hair shaft is shed, it is replaced with a new hair from the same follicle located just beneath the skin surface. Scalp hair grows about one-half inch a month.

Hair consists of a form of protein, exactly the same material that is found in fingernails and toenails. This protein is called keratin. Everyone, no matter what age, should consume an adequate amount of protein to keep normal hair production. Protein is found in meat, chicken, fish, eggs, some cheese, dried beans, tofu, grains, and nuts.

Abnormal hair thinning can be because of a variety of causes, but about 50 percent of the population experience normal hair thinning when they reach 50. Individuals who notice their head to be shedding hair in large amounts after combing or brushing, or whose hair becomes thinner or falls out should consult a dermatologist.

Common treatments for excessive hair shedding, thinning hair, or baldness are finasteride, minoxidil, laser combs, organic-based hair loss products, and hair transplantation. Finasteride and minoxidil are hair loss medications that can give the desired results of stopping further hair loss and obtaining hair regrowth. However, both medications are also known to cause harmful side effects. Hair loss products that contain natural or organic-based ingredients are known to give the desired results of regaining the healthy growth of hair, albeit after continuous and long-term usage. Hair transplantation is considered to be an effective treatment also, but very costly and risky.