Truly dead hair follicles are almost impossible to reactivate, except with the help of medical/surgical treatment, so it's important that you take action on your dying hair follicles as soon as you're able – the earlier the better.
It depends. “If a follicle has closed, disappeared, scarred, or not generated a new hair in years, then a new hair wouldn't be able to grow,” Fusco says. But if the follicle is still intact, yes, it is possible to regrow the hair—or to improve the health of the existing thinner hairs.
But even though some of your hair follicles may eventually go dormant and stop producing new hairs altogether, these sleeping follicles are not a lost cause. Regular scalp massages and topical hair products with the right stimulating ingredients can effectively wake them up and trigger hair production again.
By incorporating regular scalp massages into your routine, you can help restore hair growth, stimulate the bulbs that nourish strands, and promote overall health and well-being for the roots of your hair. While scalp massages can improve hair thickness and growth, it is also great for stress and tension relief.
For most people, the most obvious sign of hair follicle damage is hair loss. As your follicles become damaged, they may stop growing new hairs, resulting in a receding hairline, bald spot at your crown (the area at the top of your head) or diffuse thinning.
Then is the telogen or resting phase. The follicle becomes dormant for around 1 to 4 months. The club hair that has been formed keeps the hair in the follicle for several months, but the hair is no longer in anyway alive or growing.
If you damage your hair follicles after an injury, they can repair themselves and your hair will grow back. It could take up to four years before you see new hair growth out of damaged hair follicles, depending on the severity of your injury.
Hair follicles typically grow back within one to two months as long as your scalp does not need to recover from damage. If your hair follicles are damaged, it can take up to four years until they are able to regrow hair normally unless it is permanent, in which case no new strands will grow.
But once a hair has fallen, regrowth may not continuously occur, as the follicle becomes inactive. The bulb is not dead but asleep, said Dr Bernard, and this dormant phase can last from two to 12 months before it wakes up to give a new hair.
There are many ways to repair damaged hair follicles naturally. Adding iron, B vitamins (particularly B6), omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and zinc into your diet can help to repair damaged hair strands. Scalp massages with essential oils like peppermint or rosemary can keep hair follicles healthy.
Electrolysis. This method sends an electrical current through a hair follicle, which will damage the follicle and prevent hair from growing. Because hair grows in cycles, it takes several sessions to get permanent hair removal. You'll also find kits that allow you to perform electrolysis at home.
In male pattern baldness, topically applied minoxidil increases the duration of the anagen phase and normalises the size of follicles but the mechanism by which this occurs is not understood. It can only restore existing hair growth and cannot reactivate dead follicles.
Unhealthy Diet - Having a diet lacking in essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals, especially iron and vitamin B12, can lead to gradual weakening of hair roots and hair loss is increasing day by day. Medications - Some medications can also weaken hair roots and cause premature hair loss.
A major active compound found in peppermint oil, menthol helps keep hair follicles active and stops them from shrinking. Peppermint oil contains 40% menthol. A study showed that peppermint oil is much better than minoxidil in preventing hair follicles from shrinking and activating dormant hair follicles.
If you damage your hair follicles after an injury, they can repair themselves and your hair will grow back. It could take up to four years before you see new hair growth out of damaged hair follicles, depending on the severity of your injury.
Then is the telogen or resting phase. The follicle becomes dormant for around 1 to 4 months. The club hair that has been formed keeps the hair in the follicle for several months, but the hair is no longer in anyway alive or growing. Finally, the exogen or shedding phase.
Hair follicles are made from proteins, and filling the dormant follicles in your face with extra protein may give them the push they need to speed up the growing process. So add more lean meats, fish, eggs, beans and nuts to your diet so your body is full of wonderful natural protein.
Facial hair growth is largely propelled by testosterone, a hormone. Testosterone levels can vary. For men between 19 and 38, the normal range is 264 to 916 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).
Dormant hair follicles can occur from physical damage to the hair follicle, leading to it no longer being able to grow hair. Or, more commonly, hair follicles can be slowly miniaturized from exposure to a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone).