The Natural Hair Stages Of Growth

Congrats on going natural and boldly rocking that cute 'fro of kinky curls. Now here's the not- so- easy part; caring for your natural hair and retaining its length. Natural hair growth is such a huge deal now and you might be worrying over why your hair isn't growing as fast as you want it to. Probably, you are a little bothered over why you haven't achieved your desired length or why your hair won’t grow past a certain length.

Well, honey, it is perfectly okay to experience all these on your natural hair journey. Because it is hard to figure out what is going on at the roots of your hair, I will be explaining the 4 natural hair stages which determine your hair growth potential.

Understanding how your hair works

The average human has around 100 000 hair follicles on the scalp and grows about 1/2 inch of hair per month. To understand natural hair growth, you've to compare it to the human development process. Just like the way a person grows, the first three years are usually seen as the most active growth years after which the individual grows gradually until their teenage years. To better understand how your natural hair grows, here are the 4 natural hair stages. 

The 4 Natural Hair Stages

                                           Photo credit:  viviscal.com

Stage 1: The Anagen Stage

This natural hair stage is the primary growth stage. For an average of 3-5 years, your hair grows quickly from the roots before the hair follicles become inactive. During this natural hair stage, you could experience hair growth from 18-30 inches. This is because your hair is well connected to the blood vessels in your scalp and these vessels feed it with the essential nutrients it needs in order to grow.

Stage 2: The Catagen Stage

The catagen stage lasts for about 1 - 2 weeks. This is the transition phase that indicates the end of the anagen phase. During this period, the roots of the hair begin to detach itself from the blood vessels that has been nourishing it, and the cells which have been adding to its length. when it is fully detached, it enters the telogen stage. 

Stage 3: The Telogen Stage

The telogen stage also is known as the resting stage, has a shorter cycle than the anagen stage. You can compare this natural hair stage to the human development process when a person has fully developed physically, sexually, and mentally. At this point, your natural hair would achieve its maximum length as it prepares to move on to the final natural hair stage. 

Stage 4: The Exogen Stage

This is the natural hair stage where the shedding process begins. This is a natural process where the hairs at the telogen stage fall out to allow new hair to grow through the hair follicle. This would typically last for about 3 months. However you won't lose large chunks of hair at once, you would only shed 50-100 hairs every day. 11% of your hair is currently in the exogen stage and would either fall off or get pulled off during styling, braiding, or combing your hair. 

How to maximize the natural hair stages for hair growth

About 88 to 90% of your hair is at the anagen stage if you’re healthy. To experience years of active hair growth and possibly healthy long hair, your hair needs to remain at the anagen stage for as long as possible. The anagen stage can be extended by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, diet, and an optimum natural hair care routine. Stimulating your scalp every evening with a natural hair growth oil like jojoba oil can be really helpful. Also, it is important to avoid hair breakage by preventing constant manipulation of the hair and wearing protective styles like wigs, ponytails, or twists often.

Check Hairguard for more information on hair growth

@Maryam Hampton shares in this tutorial some really cool tips on how you can maximize your natural hair growth cycle: