The life cycle of our hair. Telogen – resting stage

He will try to help you understand this issue so that you can take action in time or, conversely, can calm down and make sure that everything is fine with you.

It will probably not be a revelation to you that hair loses everything, except, of course, for those who have nothing left to lose. This is absolutely a process indicating that the update processes in yours are proceeding as expected. The human body is designed in such a way that skin They are constantly renewed, old ones die off, and new ones appear in their place. The same applies to, which are part of the protective covers.

This is all clear, but this raises the question: how much hair should fall out normally?, does not become less relevant. A definite answer will probably not satisfy you, because according to experts, the loss of 45 to 170 hairs per day can be considered normal.

This information is likely to confuse you even more, so let's figure out what this figure depends on.

First of all, it is logical to know how many hairs are on your head generally there should be. The question is simple, however, the answer is again ambiguous. The average number, called by experts, is 100,000 hairs. Average doesn't mean right for you. The point is that number of hairs varies depending on many factors. If you take the average European, then, with red hair, he most likely has about 70–80 thousand hairs. If he is dark-haired, then this number rises to 100 thousand. Brown shade they add another 10 thousand to the owner and, finally, blondes are in the lead, for whom the average normal number is considered to be 150 thousand hairs.

It's also worth knowing that not all hair follicles function at the same time. Most of them (about 90%) continue to work honestly and produce hairs, while the rest are “on vacation” - sleeping or preparing to wake up. It is also estimated that approximately 15% of hair is in this stage at any one time, which is where you should start when answering the question of how much hair you personally should lose.

Let's assume that you are a brunette and take the normal number of hairs for you as 100,000 pieces. Let's calculate that 15% of this figure is equal to 15,000. This is exactly how much is in the process of falling out. On average, the duration of this stage lasts a little more than 3 months or 100 days. If we divide all the hair loss by the number of days, we get 150. This will be your hair loss rate per day.

You should also not panic at the sight of a hair follicle that has fallen out along with dead hair. Rest assured, the hair follicle - a cozy nest with a full supply of “food” for a new hair, remains in place. It's probably worth it pay attention to hair, fallen out without a bulb. If, upon closer examination, you see that it is thinning at the ends, then you are most likely dealing not with hair loss, but with hair fragility, and this is a slightly different problem.

The next burning question for most women is whether how long does hair live and grow?. This one is a little easier. Latest Research showed that on average the life of a hair lasts for six months. The growth rate depends on the time of year and even the day. It has been proven that hair grows faster in the warm season, and the same happens at night. If we take the average figure, then hair grows by 0.3–0.5 mm per day, which gives us a maximum of one and a half centimeters per month.

Sometimes it may give the false impression that you have too much hair falling out. In this case, the number of hairs on the comb will be within the normal range, but one look in the mirror will allow you to see that the hair has thinned considerably. This happens if the hair has become thinner. This may also indicate that some hair follicles are “staying late on vacation.” This is quite possible and does not happen very rarely for a number of reasons.

If you notice something like this or the amount of hair falling out does not fit into the given framework, you should seek advice from a specialist and start on time.

Alexandra Panyutina
Women's magazine JustLady

Beautiful hair and nails are everyone's dream. Do you know how much hair you lose every day? Or which nail grows faster?

Facial hair

Generally, facial hair grows faster than other parts of the body. If you have ever shaved your facial hair, then you know that stubble appears within five hours after shaving. Any average man, if he stopped shaving, could grow a beard over 9 meters in length during his lifetime.

How much hair grows per day

Every day a person loses from 60 to 100 hairs. Hair loss is influenced by many factors, such as season, health, diet, age and even pregnancy. For example, in the morning and evening hair grows faster, but at night it grows very slowly or stops growing altogether.

Men's and women's hair: What's the difference?

Diameter male hair one and a half times more than women. But despite this, men's hair is more brittle. Hair diameter also depends on a person's race and age. Black people have the thickest hair - up to three times thicker than light-skinned people.

Hair is light, hair is heavy

On average, one hair can withstand a weight of 100 to 200 grams. Therefore, in terms of strength, hair can be compared to aluminum wire. If you combine all the hair that grows on a person’s head into one bundle, then the fairy tale about Rapunzel will become quite real.

Don't break your pinky nail

Scientists have not yet fully figured out why nail growth depends on the length of the fingers. However, it is known that the nails on the middle fingers grow faster than on the other fingers: the fastest growing nail is on the middle finger active hand. On the other hand, nails grow slowest on the little finger.

Hairy like a chimpanzee

Number of hairs per square centimeter Human skin is approximately the same amount as that of chimpanzees. Hairline a person’s hair is quite thick, but most of the hairs are too light and small to be noticeable to others.

Color and thickness

On average, a person has about 100 thousand hair follicles, and each grows about 20 individual hairs throughout life. However, hair thickness differs depending on color. So, people with blond hair about 146 thousand hair follicles, black-haired people have about 110 thousand, brown-haired people have 100 thousand, and the last place in the number of hair follicles is occupied by red-haired people - about 86 thousand follicles.

Why do manicures have to be done more often than pedicures?

On average, fingernails and toenails grow 2.5 millimeters per month. However, you've probably noticed that you cut your toenails less often than your fingernails. This is because toenails grow four times slower than fingernails.

How long does hair last?

Lifespan human hair ranges from approximately 3 to 7 years. Although a person loses a lot of hair every day, the hair has quite long life unless they are injured. They can go through many haircuts and hairstyles and it will take many years before they fall out.
A person loses hundreds of hairs every day, but you only need to lose about half of your hair before anyone notices that you are going bald.

They are not afraid of either cold or heat

Human hair is virtually indestructible. Besides the fact that hair is highly flammable, it is practically invulnerable. Hair cannot be destroyed by cold, climate change, water or other forces of nature, and it is also resistant to many types of acids and chemicals.

Well-groomed hair is the dream of every representative of the fairer sex. Spending a lot of time and effort on different styling, curling and coloring, many girls forget that the key to a beautiful hairstyle is healthy hair. To make it like this, you need to know the hair and what its causes are. pathological changes and ways to eliminate them.

From roots to tips

Each hair includes several elements. Its visible part is the rod, which consists of non-living cells filled with keratin. In the thickness of the scalp (at a depth of about 2.5 mm) there is that part of the hair that determines its appearance - the root. It consists of many living cells that continuously divide. This process ensures hair growth. impossible without the participation of tissues located next to the root. Together they form a hair follicle, from which the nerve ending. The structure of the hair on the head is such that damage to this end leads to the complete death of the root without the possibility of further recovery. Great influence work also influences the beauty of hairstyles sebaceous glands located next to the follicles. If they are excessively large, the scalp becomes oily. Underdevelopment of the sebaceous glands leads to dryness. Also, next to each hair there is a muscle that ensures its lifting.

Hair structure

Good follicles provide rapid growth hair and a significant life expectancy. However, the appearance of the hair is also determined by the condition of the hair shaft. The structure of the hair in section shows that its visible part includes the following layers:

Stages of hair growth

The structure of the hair also determines the various phases of its life. They replace each other cyclically and depend on the degree of division of root cells. The lifespan of hair can be divided into the following phases.

1. Anogenic. This phase active growth hair is provided by the division of cells of its root. The rod becomes longer and thicker. This stage lasts approximately 3 years. It contains about 80-90% of all hair on the human head.
2. Catagen. Atrophy occurs in this phase hair follicle. Cells stop dividing, hair growth slows down and then stops completely. Its root shrinks and gradually moves closer to the surface of the scalp. The catagen stage lasts about a month. About 2% of all hair on the head is in this phase at any one time.
3. Telogen. characterized by a period of rest of the follicle. The hair is practically not fixed in the thickness of the skin and can fall out at the slightest physical impact. Being in this phase is typical for 20-40% of all hair on the head.

The influence of growth phases on hairstyle

Most hair falls out during the telogen stage. Some, however, persist until the very beginning of the anogenic phase. At the same time, they fall out at the moment when the newly emerging hair shaft pushes out the old one.

Growth phases, as well as the structure of a person's hair, determine the appearance of a hairstyle. Long curls, for example, are easiest to grow in at a young age. This is due to the fact that each hair has about 25 life cycles, with each of which it grows smaller and becomes thinner. In addition, after 30 years of age, hair growth gradually slows down. Until this age, they grow about 1.5 cm per month.

Causes of hair problems

There are a number of reasons that can cause slower growth, hair loss, and negatively affect hair appearance. These include:

• Diseases endocrine system, failures in hormonal background and problems in the field of gynecology.
• Gastrointestinal diseases, dysfunction of the liver and kidneys.
• Taking certain medications.
• Lack of vitamins and microelements in the body.
• Heavy physical activity and stress, after which hair does not begin to fall out immediately, but after 2-3 months.
• Improper hair care negative impact styling products, paints.
• Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight on hair, sudden temperature changes. Excessive overheating of the scalp or extreme cold also has a detrimental effect on the health of the curls.

Thus, beautiful hair- a sign of a healthy and efficient organism. Dull and brittle curls are often a reflection of various chronic diseases and pathological conditions, which must be dealt with first.

Vitamins for beautiful hair

Very often, the structure of human hair and the duration of the anogenic phase change for the worse due to a lack of vitamins and microelements. Hair becomes dry, brittle, and lacking shine. In this case, you should reconsider your diet or try to compensate for the lack of vitamins with special supplements. When choosing them, you need to pay attention to the presence of the following components.

1. B vitamins. Their deficiency primarily leads to loss of shine in hair and dryness. And vitamin B3, for example, is responsible for normal amount coloring pigment. Its deficiency in the body is manifested by early gray hair.
2. Vitamin A. Under its influence, damaged hair structure is restored, it becomes elastic.
3. Vitamin C - excellent
4. Vitamin E is one of the nutritional sources for hair follicle tissue. Especially recommended for owners of long hair.
5. Zinc prevents the formation of excess sebum, normalizes oily scalp.
6. Iron and calcium are essential to prevent premature loss hair.
7. Silicon is involved in the formation of collagen and elastin, due to which hair becomes elastic.

Hair care

Improving the hair structure is possible if you follow certain simple rules caring for them.

1. Regularly wash your hair as it gets dirty.
2. Maintaining optimal temperature regime. You should not wear hats that are too warm, causing your scalp to constantly sweat. At the same time, staying without a headdress at temperatures below 3 degrees for 10 minutes leads to a significant reduction in the anogenic stage of the hair life cycle.
3. Prolonged exposure to direct sun rays, since the structure of the hair on the head changes for the worse. In summer, especially while relaxing on the beach, it is better to wear a Panama hat.
4. One of the conditions for having luxurious hair is gentle styling methods. Daily curling, blow-drying, coloring - all this leads to problems with curls.

Qualified help

The structure of the hair is, to some extent, an indicator of the condition of the body as a whole. Therefore, if, under the condition of a diet that ensures that the body receives the vitamins and microelements it needs, and they continue to fall out and look lifeless, it is worth contacting a trichologist. You should not try to cope with the problem on your own, because it may be a symptom of some chronic disease. A trichologist will help you understand the causes of the pathology and, if necessary, refer you to other doctors for consultation.

Many men, and indeed women too, from time to time face the problem of hair loss. Some of them even turn to trichologists, who authoritatively state: up to a hundred hairs a day is a problem, and you shouldn’t panic if you lose about this amount of hair every day. The question naturally arises: how much human hair is there?

What determines the amount of hair on the head?

The main factor on which the initial amount of hair on a person’s scalp depends is natural color his hair. It has been proven that the thickest (and at the same time the thinnest) are light hair (light brown and blond), the number of which on the average person’s head is about 120-140 thousand. The next thickest hair - on average 100-110 thousand hairs - grows on the heads of brown-haired and brunettes. The smallest amount of hair on the heads of red-haired people is only 80-90 thousand hairs, but this is compensated by the thickness and strength of each of them.

Thus, if a dark-haired person loses 100 hairs every day, then almost 4 years will pass before he remains completely bald, and this is provided that the hair has completely lost its restorative functions. But instead of lost hairs, new ones grow at a rate of 0.35 millimeters per day.

If the amount of hair on your head is clearly decreasing

Unfortunately, sometimes hair begins to fall out with triple the force, and this process can affect both. Most often, thinning hair is a consequence of what happened a couple of months before. stressful situation or banal vitamin deficiency. If neither one nor the other has happened in your life, you should consult a therapist: total blood can identify the cause of hair loss.

You may need to see an endocrinologist to rule out pathologies. thyroid gland and adrenal glands, see a gastroenterologist to check if the organs are healthy gastrointestinal tract, and a dermatologist who will take it from the scalp

Hair growth occurs due to the proliferation of cells in the upper layer of the skin. It is known that they grow constantly, but with at different speeds, which depends on the person’s age and individual characteristics body.

Already in the womb, human hair begins to grow, but vellus hair, which soon after birth will begin to fall out and over time will gradually be replaced by new ones. Hair growth in infants and the elderly is much slower than in healthy adults. On average, hair grows 1-1.5 cm per month.

Each individual hair “lives” for a certain period of time and then falls out; after a while it is replaced new hair, and so on throughout human life. Average duration The lifespan of a hair on the head is four years.

Human hair performs a protective function, protecting the head from the adverse effects of sunlight, chemicals and atmospheric factors.

Hair growth phases

Hair growth is a cyclical process that lasts throughout our lives. Hair grows continuously, faster during the day than at night; in spring and autumn, its growth also accelerates. Average speed hair growth in children is 13 mm, in adults - 15 mm and in older people - 11 mm per month.

Hair growth phases- these are certain stages of the life cycle that each hair goes through from birth to natural loss. There are three phases of hair life:

Anagen (growth phase)- the period of formation of a new hair, namely a new hair follicle - the root of the future hair. This is the longest phase of hair growth, lasting 2-4 years. During this entire period, hair grows continuously. Often we don't let our hair grow out for so long and just go to the hairdresser. By the way, the hair growth phase - anagen is interestingly observed in newborns. At birth, their head is almost bald and at 2-4 years of age it is already covered with full hair. The analogue of the season of the anagen phase in plants is spring. Intensive hair growth occurs. At the same time, the cells of the hair follicle rapidly divide.

Catagen (intermediate phase)- called the resting period of the hair, or the boundary phase of hair growth, this is the end of hair growth. Some processes may still be ongoing or nearing completion, but in fact the hair is no longer growing. This is the shortest hair growth phase in the hair life cycle, lasting 2-3 weeks. The analogue of the season of the catagen phase in plants is summer (June). Hair growth in the follicle stops, pigment is not formed, the follicle shrinks, and its base moves towards the surface of the skin.

Telogen (resting or shedding phase)- during which hair may spontaneously fall out or be removed light effort. Telogen lasts an average of 3 months. Hair falls out at the moment when new hair begins to grow underneath it.

Exists early telogen And late telogen.

IN early telogen phase hair no longer grows. This can be noticed by young girls who like to grow their braid down to their waist; it grows to a certain size (the length of the braid and its size are individual and depend on the speed of hair growth), and then it simply does not grow. Then, as a rule, they get tired of looking after it and cut their hair. The early telogen phase is sometimes equated to the catagen phase, and is not distinguished as a separate phase. The analogue of the season of the early telogen phase in plants is summer (the month of August).

Late telogen phase- This is a natural death - hair loss. The hair may still remain in the follicle for some time, but as a rule, after 3-4 months (duration of the telogen phase), it will fall out. And again, a new hair growth cycle begins - the anagen phase. Sometimes the late telogen phase is simply called the telogen phase. The analogue of the season of the late telogen phase in plants is autumn (November).

So we've learned the basics life cycles hair. Now you understand that behind baldness lies only a failure in this very change in hair growth phases. It’s as if snow suddenly fell in the summer and frost began.

Hair loss- this is part normal process replacing old hair with new ones. Average percentage hair in the anagen, telogen and catagen stages are 85, 14 and 1 percent, respectively.

Hair types

There are three types of hair - cannon, bristly And long. There are also a number of transitional types of hair characteristic of humans in different periods its development.

Vellus hair cover the skin of the arms, legs and torso. These hairs are soft, short (about 1.5 mm in length), unpigmented and without medulla. This is the first hair that appears on the fetal body during intrauterine development; they are also called “primary”. Shortly before birth, vellus hair is partially replaced by pigmented hair. In the first years after birth, this type of hair on the scalp is transformed into so-called intermediate hair, which at the beginning of puberty is replaced by tougher terminal hair; it may have a slightly different color and density than the hair of the previous generation. In addition, terminal hair is noticeably denser.

Stubbled hair- these are eyebrows, eyelashes and those that grow in the nostrils. They are quite hard, pigmented, but not long. As we age, this hair begins to grow more strongly on the face, mainly in men.

Long hair grow on the head, beard, chest, armpits and on the external genitalia. Hair on the scalp goes through several stages of development: its noticeable growth begins at 2-3 years of age, and during puberty it takes on its final appearance. During the same period, pubic and armpit hair changes somewhat - it becomes thicker and curly. In ordinary cases, the distribution of body hair is dictated by gender, age, and nationality.

Hair types

Now let's take a look Hair types.

For effective hair care important factor- this is to correctly determine your hair type, since otherwise you can only worsen its condition.

Conventionally, hair is divided into three main types - oily, dry and normal.

The oiliness of hair depends on the type of skin: oily skin grows oily hair, dry skin grows dry hair. Normal skin is moderately oily, not dry, does not flake, and does not have large pores or acne. Oily skin is covered with a thicker layer of sebum and has a specific oily sheen. This type of skin is characterized by enlarged pores. Dry skin often flakes, becomes chapped, and becomes irritated. However, mixed skin types are also very common.

Accordingly, let's look at hair types in more detail.

Fat the hair has a characteristic dull shine, through short time after washing they stick together and begin to appear dirty and untidy. Oily hair often combined with oily dandruff, they are thicker than normal.

The next day after washing, or even by the end of the day, the hair loses volume, begins to shine very much, and individual strands stick together. As a rule, if the hair is oily, then so is the face. oily skin, that is sebaceous glands produce more sebum than necessary.

Dry hair is thinner, fluffier, more fragile, reflects light poorly, which is why it looks dull and lacks gloss. They tear easily, get tangled, are difficult to comb, and split at the ends. Quite often, along with this, flaking of the scalp occurs and dry dandruff appears.

If the sebaceous glands on the scalp produce little sebum, the hair becomes dry and brittle, often breaking and splitting. However, often dry hair is the result of improper care, and not a consequence decreased activity sebaceous glands.

Normal hair - reflects light well, shimmers in the sun, elastic, moderately thin, not too dry and not greasy, there is no dandruff on the scalp. This means that the sebaceous glands of the scalp and the whole body produce oil no more than normal, and hormonal metabolism not violated. The hair has a healthy shine and does not stick to each other on the fifth or sixth day after washing your hair.

Along with these three main types, there is also mixed(combined) type, as well as hair may be depleted and damaged.

Hair mixed type, this is usually long hair, oily at the roots and dry at the ends due to the fact that they are not sufficiently lubricated with fat along the entire length. The ends of this type of hair, without receiving the necessary lubrication, often split.

You have to wash your hair often, and this makes your hair even drier. This problem is well known to women who often use a hair dryer or constantly color their hair. At the same time, initially their hair was of the oily type.

Exhausted hair is usually rough and has lost its shine and manageability. If such changes occurred quickly and abruptly, then this serious reason for concern. We must also not forget that some hair changes occur gradually and can only be noticed in a timely manner under a microscope.

Damaged hair also looks different, processes such as:

Split- the end of the hair resembles a brush or whisk. Some such hairs are also found among healthy hair. Sometimes splitting starts from the middle of the hair. Such hair gets tangled, is very difficult to comb, and most of it remains on the comb, taking normal hair with it.

The reason for this phenomenon is not entirely favorable general condition the body when the nutrition of the follicles is disrupted. There may be problems with vascular system. You should pay attention to your health status and, if necessary, consult a doctor. And be sure to cut off the “wrong” ends.

Hair knots- thickenings resembling nodules form on the hair shaft. If you examine them under a microscope, you can see a split hair shaft, reminiscent of two panicles nested one inside the other. Hair often breaks off at the site of these nodules. Most likely, the process of keratinization of hair is disrupted. The reason may lie in improper care: frequent curling, combing, using some chemicals. In this case, it is necessary to cut your hair short and provide it with careful care. If after two months nodules still form, you need to consult a specialist.

Hair loops- the hair itself is folded into loops and tied into knots. Sometimes there is one loop or knot on the hair, sometimes there are several.

Microscopic dust particles are retained in the lumen of the loop, skin discharge. Hair gets tangled easily, it becomes more and more difficult to comb it, and it is completely impossible to style it. This happens if the hair is too dry, as well as if it is not properly cared for.

Hair usually becomes damaged after coloring and perm. This type of hair lacks softness and feels hard and uneven to the touch. The main problem of such hair is a lack of moisture, and all the products that are used to treat it are designed to compensate for its lack. Damaged hair should not be dried with a hair dryer, and if you cannot do without a hair dryer, then you must use hair styling products that will help reduce harmful effects hairdryer

Hair shape

The shape of the hair depends on the shape and spatial location of the follicle, the inclination of the hair shaft relative to the surface of the skin, the amount of keratin in the hair shaft, race and individual characteristics. In short, we can say that the shape of the hair depends on the shape of the root.

There are three types of hair shape: smooth or straight(1-3), wavy(4-6) and curly(7-9)

In turn, smooth hair is divided into: flat-wavy, tight, smooth.

Wavy on: broad-wavy, narrow-wavy, curly;

Curly on: curling, slightly curly, very curly, weakly spiral, highly helical.

When cut, smooth hair forms a circle, wavy hair forms an oval, and curly hair forms a flattened oval.

Representatives of different human races different hair quality.

U Caucasian (European) race hair is straight or slightly wavy, usually thin. They are not very resistant to mechanical, physical and chemical influences. But they are very diverse in color - from very light to black and red.

U representatives of the Asian (Eastern) race the hair is thick, strong and straight, usually black. Capable of growing longer than representatives of other groups. Can withstand huge amount coloring and curling procedures. This hair is the most resistant to any impact, therefore it is used in most wigs and hairpieces.

In people Afro-Caribbean group The hair is very curly, coarse, and at the same time thin, with a porous structure. Hair color is determined by a combination of black and red pigments, which produces shades ranging from black to golden brown. This type of hair is more vulnerable than the hair of other ethnic groups.