Your hair is a living part of you. The visible hair you see on your head is part of the hair shaft. It is made up of dead, hard protein cells called keratin. Once you damage this part of your hair, it cannot regenerate itself because it is no longer living.

The hair that lies beneath the surface, inside the hair follicle is still alive. It can be healed and encouraged to grow.

When your hair is in its growth phase, called the “anagen phase,” which lasts from two to six years, your hair continues to grow from the follicles. The longer your hair is in the anagen phase, the faster and more consistently it will grow.

While your hair is in this phase, the cells in one of the follicle’s papilla divide to produce new hair fibers in the very same way that a fertilized cell grows into a human being!

By the time your hair bursts through the scalp (called the dermal layer of the skin) it has already been growing for some time. You can count on about 85% of your hair strands to be in the growth cycle at any one time – at least while your hair is in the anagen phase.

Your hair next enters what is called the “catagen phase.” This hair growth cycle describes when the hair begins to fall out. Your hair begins to “shed” or fall out because the hair follicles shrink. As the follicles become smaller, the blood supply to the hair shaft and thus the growing hair is cut off, and it eventually dies and falls out, just like a flower that wilts because it gets no water or nutrients from the soil it is growing in.

The next phase that your hair enters is called the “catagen phase.” This is the resting period of the hair growth cycle. Your hair follicles typically need up to 4 months of rest before they are renewed enough to begin a new growth phase.

A lack of vitamins, vital minerals, and poor blood circulation as well as chemical scalp damage, or poor nutrition can all lead to hair thinning and slow hair growth. Our products encourage the health of the hair follicles so that your hair growth cycle lasts as long as possible, and new hair can grow from the “fertile” soil of rich, nutrient-dense blood to the scalp.

People often expect a magic pill or overnight success when re-growing hair, but if you want to grow hair naturally and healthfully, it will likely take more than a month to see real results. This is because hair growth happens in 3 phases:

1. The Anagen Phase – the growth phase wherein hair growth happens over a 2 – 6 year period
2. The Catagen Phase – lasts a few weeks, the hair follicle is in a state of transition, lasting about 2 – 3 weeks
3. The Telogen phase – your hair follicles go dormant to “rest”

Our Hair Growth Botanical formulations work by promoting blood flow to the hair follicles helping to revitalize them while still in the dormant phase. This helps to shift your hair back into the growth cycle. The longer your hair is in the Anagen (growing) phase, the faster, longer, and healthier it will grow.

Because we are shifting your hair out of its natural, dormant cycle expect to see new hair growth after 9 to 12 weeks of treatment.

We lose hair due to the natural cycles of hair growth. When the hair is going through the 3 cycles – the anagen phase, catagen phase, and telogen phase – the hair follicles are constantly changing.

When your hair enters its resting phase, a small tubular cavity containing the root of the hair must renew itself. Hair follicles shrink during this renewal process, causing blood flow to be cut off from your hair shaft. This shrinking of the hair follicle and absence of blood to the root of your hair causes it to disintegrate (essentially die off) and fall out.

Healthy hair follicles need about 4 months of rest before they begin to open up again and accept blood flow (as well as vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for your hair). This is a normal process.

The hair regrowth phase begins once the hair follicle has rested enough and has enough strength to begin producing new hair.

The average person has 100,000 to 150,ooo hairs. Each follicle produces a single hair that grows around a half-inch per month. Your hair will typically grow for 6 years and then enter a dormant phase. The old hairs will fall out and be replaced by new ones. The hair growth cycle then starts again. At any given time, 85 to 90% of your hair is actively growing. The remainder rests. You will also shed around 40 to 100 strands of hair daily since your hair is in different parts of the growth cycle.

Natural hair loss can be distinguished from problem hair loss by the color of the root of the fallen strands. Hair strands that fall out because they are entering the anagen phase will have a white tip at the root. Hair strands that detached from the hair follicle before entering the anagen phase will be darker in color.

Your hair follicles are a structure of the skin. It is from here that hair grows. There are hair follicles all over your skin, with the exception of the lips, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Hair follicles grow hair by packing old cells together.

Your hair follicles are supplied with one or more sebaceous glands which provide sebum, an oily substance that helps lubricate the hair and skin. Areas that have thicker hair growth, such as the scalp, have more sebaceous glands. The sebaceous gland within the hair follicle has a bundle of muscle fibers that creates goose bumps when contracted. Hair follicles also have stem cells at their base, which contribute to regular hair growth.

The base of the hair follicle is called the papilla. It consists of connective tissue and a capillary loop, or tiny blood vessel. The papilla is surrounded by the hair matrix, which consists of epithelial cells and melanocytes. The epithelial cells divide very quickly, causing regular hair growth, while the melanocytes provide pigment, and are responsible for your hair’s color.

The hair follicle is surrounded by a protective root sheath, consisting of the external and internal root sheath. The internal root sheath, in turn, has three layers: the innermost internal cuticle, the medial Huxley’s layer, and the outermost Henle’s layer. The internal cuticle is continuous with the outermost layer of the hair fiber. The hair fiber also has three layers: the cuticle, the intermediate cortex, and the inner medulla.

Hair growth takes place in four-phase cycles. Anagen is the active growth phase, the length of which varies greatly between people and individual hair follicles. Anagen lasts for two to seven years on the human scalp, but for only months on the eyebrows. The growth phase is followed by catagen, a brief transition phase that prepares the hair shaft to detach. During this phase, lasting approximately two to four weeks, pigment production stops.

Next the telogen phase – a resting phase – begins. Hairs in the telogen phase are dead. We call these dead hairs “club hairs.” Many club hairs are shed from the body daily. The telogen phase lasts about three weeks for hairs on the human scalp. The final stage of the hair follicle cycle is exogen, a shedding phase in which one of many hairs that may arise from a single follicle is shed.

The skin on your scalp regenerates cells every 24 days. This is the same process of regeneration as any other skin cell on your body. New skin cells are formed underneath the outer layer, while old cells slough off to uncover new ones. Scalp flakes are actually old dead skin cells that naturally fall off the scalp.

A normal scalp has a pH of around 5 and a rich collection of oil glands that keep the scalp and hair lubricated. When you experience a dry or irritated scalp it is caused most often by using strong detergents, hard water, or a change in your diet. The lack of natural hair oils can also cause dry hair and a sensitive scalp because you lack enough natural lubrication. Observing dull hair can also be one of the early signs of dry scalp.

Dry scalp can be treated easily by choosing mild shampoos and natural oil moisturizers to nourish your dry scalp. Natural remedies such as an apple cider vinegar rinse will help to restore the pH on your scalp and remove build up left behind by chemical-based shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products. The issue of dandruff is slightly different. While dandruff is caused by excessive natural hair oil (sebum) production (greasy and yellowish white in color). Dandruff flakes are larger than dry scalp flakes and will not release as easily from the scalp. Someone with dandruff will experience itching and usually has scalp odor. According to the latest studies, dandruff may be partly caused by harmless yeast colonies (candida)on the human scalp. In some people, the yeast starts to feed on the excess oil and dead skin cells on the scalp, causing the skin cells to shed more frequently and clump into flakes.

If you have dandruff, you must practice scalp hygiene to remedy the problem. Cleaning out all the dandruff flakes using medicated dandruff shampoo with selenium sulfide, zinc, or ketoconazole will wash off excess oil and dead skin cells that have accumulated on your scalp. This leaves the yeast and fungi with fewer sources to continue to feed on. A natural remedy for dandruff is tea tree oil, yarrow oil, and pepper mint oils, which help by balancing your pH levels. These essential oils also help the hair follicles to be clean and unclogged with debris and promote scalp health with stronger blood circulation.

Please note that both extreme scalp dryness and dandruff can be a first symptom of some health issues. This is especially important to note when a medical condition like hormonal misbalance, eczema, or psoriasis is to blame.

Natural human hair get moist by sebum, which is the product of the microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily/waxy matter. Sebum lubricates hair and provides the hair shaft with protection and water-resistance.

If the cuticle layer is damaged, the natural hair nourishment or sebum, has to fill missing shingles and run short. Lack of sebum makes hair shaft more vulnerable to water and mechanical damage. The more damaged and kinkier the hair, the more difficulty the sebum will travel down the hair, therefore the drier or dull the hair looks.

Sebum has lots of organic similarity with oils. Oil coats the hair by latching onto cracks and holes in the hair shaft.  Damaged hair has a scaly surface which allows the oil to penetrate the hair as it slides down the hair and slips into those cracks.

Greasy hair derives its oil from the scalp, where microscopic glands in the skin secrete sebum, an oily/waxy matter. Sebum lubricates hair and provides the hair shaft with protection and water-resistance. Sebum is needed for healthy hair but too much of it can cause greasy hair and other scalp health issues. There are a few hygienic and health factors which provoke the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

During the summer heat, your scalp can start to overproduce sebum to compensate for dryness and to provide moisture to the scalp. Excessive heat also makes your scalp sweat. If there is dust, smoke, and dirt around it will be deposited on your scalp during the day, which leads to more sebum production. The physiology of the sebaceous glands in your hair follicles aims to protect the scalp when it comes in contact with high levels of smoke, and pollutants that are present in most cities today.

Most styling and hair care products have certain type of synthetic ingredients like silicone which have the ability to buildup on your scalp as well, thus leading to clogged pores . Clogged pores can cause greasy build-up. The pollution factor leads to greasy hair as well.

In most cases, having greasy hair makes your scalp more prone to dandruff. The dead skin cells become heavier and aren’t washed away when you have a bath or shampoo your hair. Build-up of dead skin cells also creates an environment for bacteria to thrive and can lead to skin disease and eventually hair loss.

Also, greasy hair can be caused by hormonal imbalance or could be an early symptom of certain health issues. If you’re concerned about changes in your hair, check with your doctor as soon as possible.

Human hair comes in many colors and textures, and are all made with a protein called keratin.

Keratin is the same tough, water insoluble structural material that human nails are made of. Hair also contains natural oils (lipids) and water. These hair components are arranged in 3 primary structures:

– The cuticle – the outermost, shingle-like layer
– The cortex – the inside of the hair consisting of bundles of protein filaments which help to support the hair’s strength. These filaments also makes up the biggest portion of the hair
– The medulla – a soft spongy-like core in the center of the cortex

About 90 percent of the total weight of hair comes from the cortex. The beauty and shine that makes healthy hair so attractive happens because of the smooth cuticle layer in continuous tightly packed scales, some five to twelve deep. A healthy cuticle is smooth and looks like an overlapping structure similar to roof shingles.

The living part of the hair, called follicles, are deep in your scalp. The visible part, the hair shaft, is made up of a dead, hard protein called keratin, so once the hair strand structure is damaged it will never heal back or regenerate.

The hair cuticle is the first line of defense against all forms of damage. It acts as a protective barrier for the softer inner structure including the medulla and cortex. The cuticle is responsible for much of the mechanical strength of the hair fiber.

If the cuticle layer is damaged, the natural hair nourishment called sebum has to fill out the missing shingles. A lack of sebum makes the hair shaft more vulnerable to water and mechanical damage. The more damaged and kinkier your hair looks, the more difficulty the sebum will have travelling down the hair shaft, therefore the drier and duller your hair looks.

Aside from protecting the inner layers of your hair, the cuticle also controls how much water can enter your hair. In most cases of hair damage, efforts to fix the hair’s texture using hot tools along with oils, styling spay , or any other liquids eventually lead to just having to cut the hair to restore its health.

Liquid fills the cracks and missing blocks of cuticle shingles and starts to boil under the heat of a hair iron or hair curler. This literally rips the hair shaft apart.

The cuticle layer is often damaged by using excessive heat while styling, coloring, or chemically straightening your hair. Be sure to use oil-based treatments that can help to smooth a damaged hair surface. Essentials oils share organic similarity with natural sebum. These oils coat your hair by latching onto cracks and holes in the hair shaft. Damaged hair has a scaly surface which allows the oil to penetrate the hair as it slides down the hair and slips into those cracks.

The average scalp has 100,000 to 150,000 hairs. Each follicle produces a single hair that grows at the rate of approximately one half inch per month. After growing for two to six years, hair rests a while before falling out. It’s soon replaced with a new hair, and the cycle begins again. At any given time, 85 to 90% of your hair is growing. The remainder is resting. Because resting hairs regularly fall out, most people shed about 40 to 100 strands every day. Many of the causes of less than desirable tresses are out of our control, but there are many things we can do to beautify our hair and promote a healthy scalp:

CRASH DIET

Crash diets don’t provide sufficient nutrition to you or your hair. People will naturally have better hair when consuming foods and supplements that provide balanced nutrition. You need plenty of vitamins, trace minerals and amino acids for good health and good hair.

Amino Acids are vital for cell production in your body, and can be described as the protein “building blocks” of your hair. Unlike fat, amino acids can’t be stored in the body for later use, so a lack of them can mean serious danger for the immune system. Also, hair thinning can be a sign of insufficient Vitamins A, C, B complex, iron, iodine, and copper.

POOR SCALP CIRCULATION

Poor scalp blood circulation can cause serious hair loss. If the hair follicle does not get a constant and nutrient-dense supply of blood, lymph, and oxygen, it will shrink and the hair strand will fall out. Scalp stimulation promotes blood circulation, which stimulates hair follicles to produce thicker, more lustrous hair growth. Essential-oils based treatments are the best way to encourage a healthy scalp and lustrous hair.

SCALP HEALTH

The condition of your scalp establishes the health of your hair. A healthy scalp has clean, open pores with good blood flow. A healthy scalp is characterized as being loose and thick. An unhealthy scalp can be characterized by a dry and itchy scalp, flaking, or tenderness. An unhealthy scalp is either too dry or too oily. An oily scalp puts the sebaceous glands in overdrive, meaning the glands in the hair follicle are producing too much oil. This creates a haven for bacteria to breed. Dandruff, which is a characteristic of dry scalp, is also caused by an over- growth of yeast. Dry scalp can be caused by products leaving a buildup on the scalp as well.

HORMONAL IMBALANCE

Hair loss or hair thinning is most commonly associated with aging and hormonal imbalance. The miniaturization of hair follicles shortens the hair growth cycle and might be the result of hereditary or hormonal-related hair loss in both men and women. As the growth phase shortens (anagen), the hair becomes thinner and shorter, to the point where there is no growth at all.

MECHANICAL DAMAGE:

Please note that hair follicle can be easily damaged by additional weight put on your hair’s roots. Any hair extensions applied with glue or thread are designed to be worn for a few months. If there is any irreversible damage done to the hair follicles, there is nothing you can do to restore it. Hair has to be treated gently. If you style your hair often using hot tools and styling brushes that means you’re adding weight on the hair during the process. Even wearing a ponytail too tight can cause hair loss.

BRUSHING & HAIR STYLING:

Pulling hair when brushing your hair when wet is a common issue which causes excess hair fall. Because of the added weight of water, your hair is very vulnerable at this time and the additional water weight along with brushing can cause hair to be pulled out easily. Anything that puts tension on the follicles in the scalp can cause hair loss as a result. The best option will be to reduce the amount of mechanical damage by going for less follicle health threatening styles.

Hair loss after chemotherapy is a common occurrence and it happens as the chemotherapy targets not only the cancer cells but also the healthy cells of the body. However, once the chemotherapy is stopped your hair will need vital support to grow back to normal density and texture.

Our botanical scalp stimulating formulas provide regeneration to affected hair follicles in a period of 12 to 18 months recovering the hair’s growth pattern. Our effective hair recovery line helps return your hair follicles to the growth phase encouraging stronger, thicker hair growth – both stimulating and nourishing for your scalp.