If you want your hair to grow faster, it certainly helps if you have a better understanding on the cycle of hair growth. A strand of hair is grown from a hair bulb, which resides in the hair follicle. This tiny bulb also happens to be an amazing production factory. It produces hair continuously, without ever stopping. It does, however, follow a consistent cycle, and it does slow down to take a rest in the intermediate stage. In total, there are 3 stages in the cycle.

Stage 1: The anagen phase (growth phase).

In this stage, the hair bulb keeps on producing, and the strand continues to grow. This is the longest among all 3 phases, and can last for a thousand days (sometimes more). Hair grows naturally at the rate of about 1 centimeters per month. So this phase continues until the hair grows to a meter or more. The duration depends on genetics, the age, and the overall health of the individual. For older people, this phase shortens, and hair becomes thinner. Sometimes, it may even lead to a certain degree of baldness.

Stage 2: The catagen phase (rest phase).

This is the shortest phase among the 3 phases. It lasts for only about 10 days or so. During this phase, the hair bulb rests and does not produce anything. Pigment production (melanin) is also stopped. The bulb is preparing itself for the next phase - the shedding phase.

Stage 3: The telogen phase (shedding phase).

The name of this phase suggests that the hair is being shed, and the individual is losing hair. But instead of being the death of hair, this is the phase where rebirth occurs. In this phase, new hair starts to grow from the hair bulb, as it (once again) starts to product after taking a rest for about 10 days in the previous phase. It is this new hair that pushes the old hair out from the hair follicle. Hence, the shedding occurs. The process is completely naturally, and no pain is felt. The hair simply falls off. You find such hair when you are washing or brushing your head. So do not be alarmed if you find yourself losing some strands while you shampoo or comb your head.

You may want to know how long it takes for hair to grow to a certain length. Unfortunately, the rate of growth differs from person to person. This is because the cycle itself is different. For example, some people may take 18 months for their hair to grow to shoulder length, while others may find that their hair only reaches the collar over the same duration.

In general, women have a much faster growth rate compared to men. Men usually takes a year or more for hair to reach the collar. After that, the cycle reaches the telogen phase, and it falls out naturally. Hence, it takes longer for men to grow hair past the length of the shoulder. Other factors like stress, fatigue, or exposure to sunlight, also affects the cycle.