Hair Follicles 101: Meaning, Cycle, & Growth of a Hair Follicle

A hair follicle is a tiny complex structure located inside the skin. It not only plays a critical role in hair growth but also contains glands, which produce and release a type of oil called Sebum.

Healthy hair follicles are essential for a full head of hair and healthy and smooth skin. They are small, pocket-like holes in our skin that grow hair. The average human has around 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp alone.

If you develop the early sign of baldness or any other hair issues, you must be curious about how your hair grows, what hair follicles are, and how they function.

This article will provide in-depth insight into the issues, treatment, and regrowth related to hair follicle.

What is a Hair Follicle?

Hair follicles are small pocket-like structures in our skin, and the average human has about 100000 to 150000 hair follicles on the scalp which almost matches up with the amount of hair we have on the scalp. It is a tunnel-shaped structure in the epidermis of the skin. At any given point, one hair follicle can give you one hair or 2-3 hair depending on the scalp to scalp.

How are Hair Follicles Related to Hair Growth?

A hair follicle anchors each hair into the skin, and the hair bulb forms the base of the hair follicle. Blood vessels nourish the cells in the hair bulb and deliver hormones, which structure and modify the hair growth at different times.

Hair Growth Cycle

Hair growth occurs in three phases which include;

1. Anagen: It's the active phase of the hair. A new hair is formed, pushing the club hair up the follicle and eventually out.
2. Catagen: The next phase is the transitional phase, where hair growth slows, and the hair follicle shrinks.
3. Telogen or resting phase: It's when the hair growth stops and old hair detaches from the hair follicle. New hair begins to grow and pushes the old hair out.

Different follicles go through different phases of the cycle at the same time. Some are in the growth phase, while others might be in the resting phase. You can observe this when some of your hairs might grow while others fall out.

The Life Of A Follicle

Hair cycles are believed to be synchronous and can vary within body sites. In newborns, it converts most of their hairs to telogen hair within the first six months of their life.

Hair grows at different rates in different people.

Hair follicles are responsible for your hair growth, as well as the shape of your hair. It plays an important role in determining hair color. Oval follicles produce curlier hair, whereas circular follicles produce straight hair. Your hair growth can be affected by hair type, age, or overall health. With aging, the pigment cells die and your hair turns grey.

What are the Issues with Hair Follicles?

Issues with hair follicles cause several hair conditions. If you observe any unexpected hair loss symptoms, then it is best to consult an expert.

Androgenetic Alopecia

It is known as male pattern baldness, which affects the growth cycle of the hair follicle in men. It slows down and weakens hair growth and stops altogether eventually. It results from follicles not producing any new hairs.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. In this disorder, our immune system mistakes the hair follicles for foreign cells and attacks them. Often it causes hair to fall in clumps, leading to Alopecia Universalis, which means total hair loss all over the body.

No such treatment can cure this disorder and help in hair regrowth, but tropical treatment or steroidal injections can slow down hair loss and help stimulate the hair follicle. Alternatively, AHS Complete Procedure by Advanced Hair Studio can protect you from facing total baldness.

Folliculitis

It is the inflammation of the hair follicles, and it can occur anywhere where the hair grows, which includes;

1. Scalp
2. Legs
3. Face
4. Arms
5. Armpits

It is often caused by staph injection and can go away without treatment. It looks like a rash of small bumps on the skin. The bumps may be yellow, red, or white and contain pus. In many cases, folliculitis is itchy and sore.

Treatment

Depending on the type and severity of your condition, the treatment of folliculitis can vary. There are many treatments and interventions, such as hair removal and medications.

Minor surgery or laser hair removal can be the best way to treat hair follicle issues.

Telogen effluvium

The main reason behind prematurely getting into the telogen phase is a stressful event. Telogen effluvium is a very common form of hair loss, which is temporary. It's responsible for hair thinning and causes hair to fall in clumps.

Generally, hair falls out in patches on the scalp, but in extreme conditions, it can fall out in other places, including eyebrows and legs. The stress or trauma could be caused by:

1. Surgery
2. Illness
3. A stressful life change
4. A new medication
5. Childbirth
6. A physically traumatic event

Telogen effluvium is generally temporary and does not require any treatment. But it is better to consult a hair specialist if you get any symptoms of telogen effluvium.

Hair Regrowth

Suppose you have conditions like balding or alopecia. In that case, there are several ways to stimulate hair follicle regrowth, or you can consult an expert at AHS India to follow the method of hair follicle transplant which leads to a healthy Hair Restoration and a head full of hair!

No such treatments or medications have been invented yet, which can re-stimulate the growth of hair follicles. Other than that, for hair regrowth, you can go for a hair transplant which is an effective method to treat your hair follicle issues and help you in hair regrowth.

Conclusion

Hair follicles determine the hair type, which happens in cycles of three distinct phases, and when it is damaged, it stops producing hair and slows down the hair growth. To learn more, visit your nearest Advanced Hair Studio and get all the solutions for your hair issues and hair follicle growth from industry experts. You can also call now to schedule an appointment or visit the website for more details. Advanced Hair Studio’s experts are there to help you & provide quality assistance every step.