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Hair has a hair cycle. It is also called the hair cycle, and since the growth cycle of hair is fixed, such as the time of growth and the time of shedding, hair will naturally grow and fall out as long as you live.

If you've been wondering about the number of hairs you've been shedding lately, you may actually just be in a shedding cycle. Therefore, this time, we will introduce the hair cycle in which hair grows back. Let's take a closer look at the number of hair sheds per day and what happens when the hair cycle is disrupted.

How hair grows

Hair is reborn in the hair cycle

 In the natural hair cycle, it takes 3~5 years for men and 4~6 years for women to grow and fall out. Within this hair cycle, there are three periods: the growth phase, the regression phase, and the telogen phase, each with different characteristics.

As the name suggests, the growth phase is the time when the hair grows, the regression phase is the time when the hair stops growing, and the telogen phase is the time when the hair follicles become smaller and the hair falls out. It is said that about 3% of hair is in the growth phase, 90% in the regression phase, and 1% in the telogen phase, and 10% of the telogen phase can fall out at any time.

How many hairs do you lose in one day?

It is said that the average number of hairs is about 10,10. If 1% of them, or 50,100 trees, are in the resting phase, it is natural for about 100~<> of them to fall out every day. Even if you feel that you are losing a lot of hair, you may actually just be losing hair that has entered the telogen phase, so if you have about <> hairs, you don't need to worry about it.

How much does hair grow in one day

Hair continues to grow during the growth phase, but at what speed?

It is said that hair grows by 1.0mm~3.0mm per day on average. If it is 4 mm in 3 days, it is calculated that it will grow by about 1 cm in 1 month.

However, since the speed of growth varies from person to person, it does not necessarily increase the above length. Hair basically grows during sleep, when growth hormone is secreted.

In other words, there is a good chance that growth will slow down if the sleep time is not stable due to an irregular rhythm of life, lack of sleep, lack of nutrition, etc.

In addition, the scalp has turnover (skin replacement due to metabolism) like other skin. If the turnover of the scalp is disturbed, nutrients may not reach the hair and it may not grow well. In this way, it is common to grow about 1 cm per month, but it is said to grow about 1 cm ~ 1 cm in a year. The detailed growth speed varies depending on lifestyle habits and nutritional status, so please take it as a reference only.

Why does hair loss and gray hair occur?

How hair loss occurs

Normal hair loss

When you enter the telogen phase of the hair cycle, your hair will naturally fall out. This type of hair loss is normal hair loss, and it is characterized by falling out with a proper role.

Some types of hair loss fall out due to external damage such as temperature changes, and they fall out as a result of damage on behalf of the scalp. In addition, some hairs fall out for the purpose of excreting waste products, and have the role of letting unnecessary components such as lead and mercury out of the body. In this way, the hair that falls out due to the normal hair cycle has the function of protecting the body, so it can be said that the health of the scalp and body is maintained because of hair loss.

However, some hair loss is not due to the normal hair cycle.

In case of abnormal hair loss

 If the hair cycle does not circulate well due to hormonal imbalance, the hair will fall out without being able to complete the growth phase. If the number of hairs that are not related to the telogen phase increases, the number of hairs that fall out may exceed 100 or even 200.

In addition to disturbances in the hair cycle, deterioration of blood circulation can also cause hair loss. When blood circulation is poor, the hair cannot absorb the nutrients necessary for growth and falls out during growth.

How gray hair grows

 Gray hair is hair in which the melanin pigment, which is the black pigment, is reduced. Hair originally contains melanin pigment, but basically the melanin pigment decreases with age, so gray hair increases. This is because as we age, the function of melanocyte cells, which produce melanin pigment, weakens.

When the hair cycle is disturbed, it causes thinning hair

 The hair cycle may fluctuate slightly with age, but if it is too disturbed, the hair may not grow well. The amount of hair is maintained in a normal state by having a well-balanced presence of hair in the growth phase, regression phase, and telogen phase, but if the hair cycle is disturbed and the hair in the growth phase decreases, the hair volume will decrease overall. In other words, you will have thinning hair.

Causes of hair cycle disturbances include the malignant male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and poor blood circulation. If dihydrotestosterone is secreted excessively, it will increase the amount of sebum, which will cause clogged pores, etc., which will cause double thinning hair along with disturbances in the hair cycle. Dihydrotestosterone is also a known ingredient that is a major cause of AGA. As you can see, male hormones lead to thinning hair from various directions, so it is recommended to be aware of not to disturb the balance.

The hair cycle is greatly affected by daily lifestyle habits. If you have an irregular rhythm of life, an unbalanced diet, or a continuous lack of sleep, your hair cycle is likely to be disturbed. Even if you don't have alopecia in particular, there is a possibility that just disturbing the hair cycle will lead to thinning hair, so be careful about your lifestyle.

Is it possible to have a hair transplant on a thinned area?

 If some of your hair has thinned, you can hide it by having a hair transplant. The most common hair transplant method is to transplant synthetic hair or your own body hair. The merit is that it is finished in a natural atmosphere and can be given a sufficient sense of volume. Some people may be concerned about pain, but when actually performing the procedure, there is no need to worry about pain because anesthesia is administered. If you really want to hide the thinning area, you may want to consider a hair transplant. However, the disadvantage is that hair transplants tend to be expensive. It is good when you can afford it or if you can spend money on a hair transplant thinking about the future, but there are many people who find it difficult to take the step.

In addition, a hair transplant is only a "surgery" and will cause damage to the scalp. There is also a non-zero chance that an infection will develop from the wound or that the body itself will reject it. You don't have to worry too much, but how you perceive the possibility of such troubles will change your view of hair transplantation.

If you are considering a hair transplant, please visit a specialist doctor and ask about the specific cost, flow, and precautions before carefully considering it. In addition to hair transplantation, there are other treatments and countermeasures for thinning hair, such as hair augmentation and hair growth, so you may be able to make the best choice if you consult with them including various options.

Conclusion

Hair loss is something that happens every day, because hair has a hair cycle. It is natural to shed 1~50 hairs a day, so if you don't lose that many hairs, you don't have to worry about it. However, if the hair cycle is delayed due to lifestyle disturbances or hormonal imbalance, the number of hairs lost may increase at once. If you are concerned about the number of hairs that are falling out or the condition of your thinning hair, you can visit a specialized clinic once.