PrintMaking Sense of Hair Loss
Normal hair growth
The average scalp has 100,000 hairs that sit in follicles under the skin.2 Each hair has its own specific cycle of growth and shedding that is totally independent of the hairs around it.8 There are three stages of normal hair growth
Anagen (growth): is the hair growth stage, a process which can take up to seven years! 7
Catagen (transition): a transition phase of around two weeks during which the root of the hair becomes detached from the follicle and starts to move up towards the surface of the skin.7
Telogen (resting): finally, the hair enters a rest phase which lasts for three to four months. The hair may be shed during this phase. If not, it will be pushed out by a new growing hair when the cycle begins again.7
Provided as a service to patients by Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited