Hair Growth
A person is born with over 5 million hair follicles over their entire body, and 20% of those follicles (1 million) are on the head.
In general, an individual has more than 500 hair follicles per square inch of their body.
Yet, what’s interesting about this, is that hair follicles are active in cycles. Every single hair follicle is capable of growing a hair at any time, yet only about 20% of these hair follicles are active at any given point in time, where they are actually producing hair. This is normal.
Hair Follicles Skin Microscopic Image
Typically, the period of active hair growth only occurs for about two weeks, yet, in general, it takes 8-12 weeks for a hair to grow from the base of the hair follicle to the surface of the skin so that it is visible.
Hair Follicles Microscopic Image
Since not all hair follicles grow at the same time, when a hair follicle is in a rest period, the hair may remain in the follicle, or it may fall out. This is also normal. Not only that, but in this rest period, hair follicles actually shrink and the dermal papilla cells that are responsible for hair production actually separate from the hair follicle.
Hair Follicles Microscopic Image
When the rest period is over, hair follicles grow down into the skin to re-unite with the dermal papilla cells and blood vessels, which provide the necessary nutrients to activate the dermal papilla cells into new hair creation. This cycle of growth and rest goes on for a person’s entire lifetime.
Hair Follicles Skin 3D Diagram
Another factor is age. It is important to note that even as much as these time periods give us a working time frame, each individuals ability to heal is key. As a person ages, these time periods increase by a factor of 30-50% on average. That means the 8-12 week period of hair growth, from beginning to surface visibility, can take up to an additional 6 weeks.
In Chinese Medicine, the key to new hair creation is the BLOOD. It is both the quality of the Blood and the circulation of the Blood on the surface of the skin, is VITAL for both hair growth, as well as hair quality for production where the hair is nurtured so that is both strong and thick.
In the end, with ALL HEALING, it is cell regeneration that we primarily concerned with, in our work here at Heaven & Earth and for the entire body to be regenerated with entirely NEW cells, it take a whole 7 years. Please keep this in mind.
