Causes of Hair Growth:
- Congenital Patterns- based on genetics
- Systemic Patterns- based on hormonal secretions
4 Ways of Hair
- Lanugo- found on the body of a fetus or a newborn baby; soft and downy and sheds shortly before or after birth
- Vellus- peach fuzz; soft and light colored with a slow growth rate
- Terminal- hair all over; grows 1 cm per month
- Intermedia- face and body; between vellus and terminal growth rate
Other causes of excess hair growth or loss:
- prolonged stress increases androgen levels which cause excessive hair growth
- smoking can increase hair growth due to the increase of adrenaline
- medicine in general can disrupt your endocrine system and increase hormonal imbalances that lead to excess hair
- weather can increase hair growth due to increased blood flow
3 Stages of Hair Growth
- Anagen Stage: hair is actually growing; ideal for extracting hair
- Catagen Phase: period of transition where the dermal papilla cells become inactive; hair stops growing
- Telogen Stage: follicle is at rest and the hair remains dormant until it is shed, extracted or pushed out