There is a 4-6 month wait
before new hair grows after hair transplants or pharmaceutical treatment
for hair loss. This is because the hair follicles have to shift from
a resting stage to a growing stage. The new hairs also have to grow
out long enough so that they are noticable. All of this takes some
time.
Cycle of Growth: Hairs grow from hair follicles, which
are miniature organs in the skin. Each individual hair follicle
grows a single hair in a cycle consisting of a long period of growth
(about 5 years) followed by a relatively short period of rest (about
3-4 months). After each rest period, the hair is shed, and a new
hair begins to grow, and the growth cycle starts again.
Catagen Stage: At the end of the
growth period, the follicle prepares for a rest. Hair growth for
that particular follicle stops. The transition to the resting period
is called the catagen stage. This stage usually lasts about a month
or so, and during catagen the lower portions of the follicle collapse,
and the grip on the hair becomes loose, which allows the hair shaft
to be shed.
Telogen Stage: The resting
period, called the telogen stage, lasts for another 3-4 months,
and sometimes a bit longer. Hair follicles that have been transplanted
usually make a transition from growing hair to no growth, and then
enter the telogen phase, shed their hair, and then after 4-6 months
start growing new hairs. New hair growth resulting from pharmaceutical
treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride comes from "waking
up" resting hair follicles. It takes some time before these
"resting" follicles shift to the growing phase.
Anagen Stage: The hair growth period of
a hair follicle is called the anagen stage. The anagen stage for
scalp hair follicles lasts about 5 years. The new hairs grow about
1/2 inch per month.
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