When someone tells you that you have club hair, it doesn’t mean that you are looking party-ready. He or she means that your hair strands have bulbs at the root tips. It’s perfectly fine to have club hair. However, it is a different story if you have lots of it all at once. Usually, it means that a medical condition is the reason behind it. However, at times it may be due to dieting, stress and certain medications.
If you like to get to know club hair more, keep on reading. Below you will come across some of the most important things about it. Remember to share this article on your various social media sites afterwards so that your family and friends who consider their tresses as some of their most prizewinning assets may also get acquainted with club hair.
It’s Important to Know the Hair Growth Cycle
Being familiar with the growth cycle of the hair is important if you wish to understand club hair so much better. No, your hair does not grow all the time. Sometimes it is growing, while other times it is resting. There are actually 3 different phases of the hair growth cycle:
Anagen phase or the active growth phase
The root of your hair is multiplying rapidly, thus adding to your hair shaft. During this phase of the hair growth cycle, your hair grows approximately 1 centimeter every 28 days. The anagen phase happens for 3 to 5 years.
Catagen phase or the transition phase
Basically, it signifies the end of the active growth phase of your hair. During this phase, blood supply to the hair follicles is cut off as there is no more need for oxygen. The catagen phase is actually a brief one, lasting for about 10 days only.
Telogen phase or resting phase
In this phase of the hair growth cycle, the hair follicles remain inactive for about 3 months, which means that no new hair shaft is formed during such time period. Afterwards, the entire hair growth cycle is repeated.
Worry not because every hair of yours is independent, which means that it goes through the growth cycle at varying times. Otherwise, your hair would not grow and fall out all at the same time.
Your Hair Does Not Fall Out Right Away
Just because the hair has entered the telogen phase doesn’t necessarily mean that it will fall out instantly. Actually, it is anchored into place by a club-shaped formation at the root end during the telogen phase. Without it, your hair would fall out as soon as it stopped growing. That club is a tiny bulb that is out of keratin, which is a type of protein.
It’s not uncommon for you to lose 50 to 100 strands of hair a day during the telogen phase, which usually happens when you wash of style your mane. However, when the anagen phase starts right away the bulb is forced out of the hair follicles, thus causing what’s known as club hair.
Having Too Many Club Hair is Not Considered Normal
According to health authorities, it’s not normal to have lots of club hair. There are certain medical conditions that are known to cause such problem. Some of them include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, iron-deficiency anemia and infections. If you have chronic stress or you are fond of dieting to lose weight, you may have plenty of club hair.
Experts say that pregnant women may also see lots of it as a result of hormonal changes. The same is true for those who are taking certain medications like beta blockers, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants and those that are for restoring hormonal balance.