The Stages of Hair Growth

 Have you ever thought about how your hair grows? Unless you are involved in the medical or esthetics field it’s probably something you’ve never even thought about! The science of hair growth is a large part of sugaring, however, as knowing how the hair cycles work allows us to give you the best possible results by ensuring you are booking your appointment at the most efficient times.

 

The Three Stages of Hair Growth:

 Your hair grows in three different stages, anagen, catagen, and telogen stages. This is followed up by the exogen stage which is when your hair falls out and is replaced with a new one. If you are just shaving, as opposed to sugaring or waxing, you will have hair in all three of these stages at a time.

 

The Anagen Phase:

The anagen phase is the stage of hair growth when your hair is actively growing. During this stage the hair follicle is connected to the papilla cells, which give the growing hair blood supply. If you are only shaving then approximately 85% of your body’s hair follicles will be in this stage.

 

The Catagen Phase:

This phase happens when the hair becomes disconnected from the blood supply and the hair continues to grow upward. The hair does not become longer at this point as it is disconnected from the blood supply and therefore does not receive any further nutrients. 2-3% of your body hair is in this stage at any given time.

 

The Telogen Phase:

The telogen phase is the final resting phase. This is the point in time where your hair is at its longest. 15% of your body’s hair is in this stage at a time.

 

The Exogen Phase:

Though not a stage of growth this phase is worth a mention. At this point your old hair will shed away and be replaced with a new hair that is already growing underneath the skin.

 

 

The Stages of Hair Growth and Waxing/Sugaring:

 Okay cool, so you have learned all of this new information, but what difference does it actually make for your waxing/sugaring experience? Well, knowing this information makes a huge difference, especially for your first few appointments! When you first change from shaving to sugaring or waxing you will likely notice that the waxed or sugared area isn’t as silky smooth as expected! This is natural and even expected for your first few appointments. Your hair will all be at different points in the growth cycle for your first 3 or 4 sessions. Some of the hairs will still be in the anagen stage and therefore will not be removed with your first few appointment. However, each time you wax or sugar more of your hair will have to restart at the anagen stage. After you 3rd (or possible 4th!) appointment all your hair will be synced and you will finally get the silky, smooth results you have been waiting for! For this reason, if you have a big event such as a wedding or a vacation that you want to be incredibly smooth for, we recommend starting your sugar or waxing routine at least six months in advance.

 

Continuing to Wax/Sugar:

The entire growth cycle differs between the areas of the body that are being sugared/waxed. That’s why it is important to make regular appointments at the timeframe suggested by your technician to ensure that you are removing all your hair in the proper stage of your growth cycle.

So there you are! Now you know how the stages of hair growth work and how they relate to your waxing and sugaring experience. Having this information helps you know what to expect and how to plan your waxing/sugaring schedule around any events you may have planned!