A strand of hair is a very complex part of the human body, something that may come as a surprise to some of you. A human’s hair growth starts inside the womb as a developing fetus. A 22 week old fetus already has about 5 million hair follicles. Interestingly enough, that is all of the follicles that will ever develop regardless of how long we live.

Hair’s Anatomy

Hair consists of a follicle in the skin that holds the shaft of hair that appears on the body. Multiple layers are combined to form a follicle, each layer with its own function. The papilla can be found in the base of each follicle. Capillaries are connected to the papilla and they supply blood to the cells which surround the bottom part of the hair strand called the bulb.

The follicle is surrounded by an inner and an outer sheath that helps the hair shaft to grow in the right direction and protects it from damage. Inner sheaths run next to the hair shaft, ending in the oil gland (sebaceous). The outer sheath also runs into the glands but they end in the erector pili muscle. When the erector pili muscle contracts, it causes our hair to stand erect.The hair shaft is comprised of three layers of dead protein cells called keratin. The innermost layer of the hair shaft is known as the medulla, though not all hair shafts will have a medulla present. The Cortex is the second layer and it provides the bulk of the hair shaft. The color of our hair is determined by the pigmentation we find in this layer. The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair shaft.Cuticles are comprised of a series of overlapping cells. The cuticle also gives luster and sheen to the hair.

The way hair grow

Scalp hair grows at an average rate of six inches per year, or only .3-.4 mm per day.

Hair growth’s three distinct stages.

The Catagen Phase

The catagen phase is the transitional phase that runs between two and three weeks. Approximately 3% of our hair would be in this phase at any given time. During this period the hair root sheath shrinks and attaches itself to the root with no actual hair growth taking place.

The Telogen Phase

Also known as the resting period, this phase is experienced by approximately 15% of your hair. The resting phase lasts for around 100 days for the hair on your scalp and a lot longer for other hair on your body.

The Anagen Phase

During this phase of activity the hair cells start to devide and new hair growth occurs. This phase usually lasts for anything between two and six years. People who experience shorter growth periods often have trouble growing their hair long.

Growth Disorders

Humans generally suffer from one of the two main hair growth disorders. Hirsutism is a condition affecting mostly females. It can be defined as a condition with excessive dark and thick hair growth (in areas typically reserved for males) is experienced by a female. These areas include the face, chest and the areolae or area surrounding the nipple. Hypertrichosis is a condition which causes excessive hair growth in areas of the body where visible hair is not normally present. Both Hirsutism and Hypertrichosis can be treated.

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