text: Hair loss in women can betransient (synonyms = temporary / telogen effluvium / non-genetic) orpermanent (genetic / androgenetic alopecia). To determine whichcategory you fall under, please read this web page to learn more.\n\nBefore learning about female hair loss, one must understand the human hair growth cycle.\n\nThe average person loses 50-100 hairs a day. Hair loss only occurs when the number of shedding hairs exceeds the number of new hairs coming in. Normal hair growth is a three stage cycle:\n[a] Anagen - Growth Phase Approximately 85% of all hairs arein the growing phase at any one time. The Anagen phase or growth phasecan vary from two to six years. Hair grows approximately 10 cm per yearand any individual hair is unlikely to grow more than one meter long.\n\n[b] Catagen - Transitional phase At the end of theAnagen phase the hairs enters into a Catagen phase which lasts aboutone or two weeks, during the Catagen phase the hair follicle shrinks toabout 1/6 of the normal length. The lower part is destroyed and thedermal papilla breaks away to rest below.\n\n[c] Telogen - Resting Phase The resting phase followsthe catagen phase and normally lasts about 5-6 weeks. During this timethe hair does not grow but stays attached to the follicle while thedermal papilla stays in a resting phase below.\n\nApproximately 10-15 percent of all hairs are in this phase atan one time. At the end of the Telogen phase the hair folliclere-enters the Anagen phase. The dermal papilla and the base of thefollicle join together again and a new hair begins to form. If the oldhair has not already been shed the new hair pushes the old one out andthe growth cycle starts all over again. Each hair passes through thephases independent of the neighboring hairs.