The Hair Growth Cycle- from a professional waxer's perspective

If I had a nickel for the amount of times per day I say “hair growth cycle” well, I would have a lot of nickels. As a licensed esthetician who specializes in sugaring and hair removal, the hair growth cycle is one of my favorite topics. Educating our clients on this process helps them to stay consistent and achieve even better results.

So, here’s a little hair science for ya. Our hairs are like tiny little plants or weeds sprouting and blooming and dying at various times in a cyclical process with three distinct phases. Located in the dermis layer of the skin, the hair bulb is attached to blood vessels and provides the soil and all the yummy nutrients needed to sprout a healthy and strong hair follicle.

The first half of the image contains an explanation of the cycles of hair growth. The second half of the image contains an illustration of anagen, catagen, and telogen phases of hair growth as well as a sprouting plant to compare it to.

The Phases

Phase 1: The first phase is the anagen phase where the hair actively grows. The length of this phase will determine the length of your hair. We like this phase when we’re talking about lashes or eyebrows or the hair on your head. Growth serums and similar products aim to increase the time the follicle stays in the anagen phase. The more time it spends here, the less it will shed and the thicker and longer your hair will be! However, for unwanted hair on your body which can feel more like weeds, now is the time to come in for your appointment. Waxes performed during this phase produce a longer lasting result because the hair is in the earliest and youngest phase of development.

Phase 2: Next is the catagen phase or the transition phase. This is where the follicle prepares for its exit and detaches from its blood and nutrient supply- very dramatic.

Phase 3: Finally, the follicle enters the telogen phase. Without nourishment, the hair dies and falls out. The follicle begins to rest. Have you ever looked at your hair brush and wondered “how am I not bald with how much is in this brush!?” Maybe that’s just me. Well, apparently between 10% and 15% of the hairs on your head are in the telogen phase at any given moment which helps to explain this perplexing phenomenon.  

So what does this mean for your quest in life to slide into your sheets with skin as smooth and as slippery as a dolphin gliding through the ocean? As sugaring experts, we are working toward a certain result- thinning out your hair by damaging the follicle. You might even call us hair follicle traumatizers.  Although this may sound morbid, in this instance we like the damage. We want to beat up that follicle so much so that one day you will never see a hair grow from it again. The less we allow that hair follicle to grow hair, the softer and smoother your skin will be. Clients who have been waxing for years experience sparse hair growth and are sometimes even able to go longer and longer between appointments. After just your first wax, you will notice a huge difference in the density of your hair and become accustomed to that dolphin-like quality you will begin to love and embody. 

Consistently showing up to appointments for hair removal every 4-6 weeks increases the chances you are removing your hair during the anagen phase and getting that longer lasting result!