Four Phases of Hair Growth
Before we get into our growth tips, let’s discuss the science behind hair growth. Each strand is on its own timeline, meaning that you’ll be experiencing all four phases at once.
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Anagen: the growing phase
Your strand will spend most of its life in this phase, growing until it reaches the end of its life cycle, or it’s damaged and falls out. This phase can last for years.
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Catagen: the transition phase
During this phase your hair slows its growth, and the follicle shrinks to prepare to shed. It lasts only a couple weeks.
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Telogen: the resting phase
This is the phase where your hair doesn’t do much of anything. It doesn’t grow, but it doesn’t fall out, either. It usually lasts around 3 months.
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Exogen: the shedding phase
This is the phase where your hair falls from your scalp. Most of us have around 50-100 strands a day in the shedding phase, which usually fall out in the shower or on the brush.
While some people have a longer anagen phase, or lose less hair in the exogen phase, we all follow some variation of this cycle.
Hair Growth Tips
So how do we help our strands grow as long as they can while they’re in their growth phase? There are a few key takeaways.
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Be Gentle to Your Hair
Everyday activities, like towel drying, overbrushing, and even sleeping on a pillowcase that snags our strands can all cause breakage and slow our ability to grow and retain length. Be conscious of your hair — treat it gently.
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Use the Right Hair Products
The products we use can have a major impact on our hair’s health. For example, if you have very dry hair but use a clarifying shampoo, this can cause more dryness and more damage. Or if you have very fine strands but use heavy oils, this can cause build-up that irritates the scalp and makes it hard for hair to grow. If you’re not sure what hair type you have, or what kind of products you should be using, head over to our Hair Quiz to unlock the secrets to caring for your hair!
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Get Protective with Your Hair
If you have natural hair, protective styles can have a major impact on your ability to grow and retain your growth. From box braids to Bantu knots, these styles can help protect your strands from damage – plus, they look gorgeous.
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Get a Hair Trim
It sounds counterintuitive, but trimming your hair may help it reach the length you desire. Trimming hair gets rid of the unhealthy, broken, and split ends that occur naturally throughout hair’s lifespan, leaving a healthy base that will break off less before it reaches its full potential.
Want to know more about what makes your hair, your hair? Learn more about the science behind the strands at our Tips & Tricks.
About HairCode, backed by decades of hair care research and industry-leading cosmetic scientists
We're obsessed with hair and the science behind what makes it look and feel amazing. Our dedicated team leverages years of extensive haircare research and product development led by pioneering cosmetic scientists, PhDs in Biology and Chemistry, along with esteemed professional hair stylists from around the globe. Our goal is to be the most accurate and easy-to-use platform for you to learn about your hair. Our HairCode Quiz is built to harness a wealth of haircare research to give you a straightforward and science-backed haircare regimen recommendation based on questions that matter. We know that hair can be complicated. That's why we break it down for you piece by piece with your unique HairCode. So, let's get to the root of it... Because we are here to support you on a journey of self-discovery and love for your hair.
