The Four Stages of the Hair Growth Cycle
Achieving healthy, beautiful hair starts at the root! Did you know that your scalp is home to approximately 5 million hair follicles, each going through a fascinating and extensive growth cycle? Knowing these phases will help you understand hair growth and how to take care of your scalp and hair properly. While the intricacies of the hair growth phases might seem overwhelming, we're here to break it down for you!
Think of each phase as a different season of the year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Just as nature transitions through seasons, so does your hair, each phase contributing uniquely to its growth and vitality.
Let’s take a deeper dive into each phase:
Growing Phase (Anagen): Blooming Spring 🌷
Much like the vibrant blossoms that adorn the landscape during spring, the Anagen Phase is your hair's time to shine. Picture this phase as the blooming stage, where your hair experiences continuous growth for an impressive 3-5 years.
During the Anagen Phase, your hair grows around half an inch a month (about 6 inches a year), and faster in the summer than in winter.
Regression Phase (Catagen): Transitioning Summer 🌞
When Summer begins, your flowers will stop their finest blossoming and start preparing for the next season. Unlike Anagen, the Catagen Phase is a lot shorter and only lasts about 10 days. Here, each individual hair follicle is cut off from any new hair growth to stop it from growing.
Resting Phase (Telogen): Autumn Slumber 🍂
In the fall, nature slows down, and so do your flowers. Enter the Telogen Phase, a time of rest for your hair. This stage lasts around 3 months or 100 days. Just as the leaves settle in place during autumn, your hair takes a similar approach—pausing its growth and peacefully remaining in position.
An estimate of 10-15% of your hairs are in the Telogen Phase at any given moment.
Shedding Phase (Exogen): Winter's Retreat ❄️
Winter marks the fading and falling of petals and leaves, symbolizing the Exogen Phase for your hair follicles. Shedding is a natural process where old hair makes way for new growth. Like the transition from one season to the next, this phase signals the cycle's renewal.
Each hair follicle is independent and goes through the growth cycle at different times — otherwise all your hair would fall out at once! Instead, you only shed a certain number of hairs a day – 80 to 100 hairs on a healthy head of hair.
How to Achieve Better Roots
Each product can effectively stand-alone to enhance the overall health of your scalp and hair, but when used together, you unlock The Ultimate Better Roots Routine.
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Use a Daily Scalp Serum: Our Better Roots RootBoost Serum is a fast absorbing, oil-free, scalp serum that nourishes hair follicles and scalp skin cells in support of healthy hair regrowth for the appearance of thicker, fuller hair and a hydrated, soothed scalp.
- Ten clean clinically proven active ingredients work synergistically to stimulate hair follicles and surrounding skin cells in support of protein and melanin synthesis, which are the processes inside hair follicles that control hair growth and hair color.
- Maintains the scalp's microbiome, reduces inflammation, and repairs cellular damage from UV exposure and other environmental factors.
- Use A Pre-Shower Scalp Oil: Our Better Roots Scalp + Hair Oil is consciously formulated with 6 clinically-proven active ingredients to support healthy hair regrowth, reduces excess shedding, while hydrating and repairing dry strands, protecting against breakage and eliminating frizz. It’s a true miracle-worker! Massage into scalp 30 minutes before showering on your hair wash day and give yourself a rejuvenating scalp massage.
- Stimulates follicles for the appearance of thicker, fuller hair
- Strengthens anchorage to reduce excess shedding
- Reduces inflammation, redness & itching
- Hydrates dry ends
- Adds moisture and shine
- Strengthens hair
- Prevents breakage
- Eliminates frizz
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Nourish From The Inside Out: Our Better Roots Root Boost Complex is a once-a-day small vegan capsule that contains a synergistic blend of Vitamins, Minerals, & Amino Acids that are the scientifically proven essential nutrients necessary for protein synthesis in our hair follicles that create our beautiful tresses. To make it even better, we added AnaGain Nu™, a 100% natural active that is clinically proven to promote healthy hair growth, and making our Better Roots Complex arguably the most complete and effective growth supporting supplement.
A Few Extra Helpful Tips That’ll Have Your Scalp and Tresses Loving You!
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Scalp Massage: Not only does a scalp massage reduce stress, but it also promotes blood circulation. [2] They help get rid of product build-up and dead skin cells, which can cause flakes and irritation. All you simply need to do is use the tips of your fingers to rub all around your scalp for about 5-10 minutes. You can even use a scalp massager brush as a helping tool!
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Clean your hairbrushes regularly to remove any hair, product buildup, and debris. This helps to maintain a clean and healthy scalp, as well as prevent the transfer of dirt and oils back onto your hair. Simply remove the hair from the brush bristles and soak the brush in warm, soapy water. Gently scrub the brush with a toothbrush or cleaning brush, rinse thoroughly, and allow it to air dry before using it again.
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Use your favorite clean and gentle shampoo/conditioner. You want to make sure you’re cleansing and moisturizing your hair in a way that won’t cause any irritation.
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Supporting your mental health is important for a healthy scalp and your overall well-being. Implementing techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing are effective in reducing stress.
