Just like our fashion aesthetic, our hair is said to have different eras. If you've heard of the 7 year hair cycle, you'll already be familiar with the school of thought that our hair undergoes a renaissance every seven years.
The only difference? The latter is down to biology vs whatever's trending on TikTok. For instance, you might have had your Baby Hair Era, your Teen Hair Era, your Uni Hair Era and so on. Instead of being categorised but whatever trending hairstyle was blowing up at the time though, the 7 year hair cycle may see a change in texture, density even colour, over style.
We spoke to Jane Martins, Senior Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley, to find out how much truth there actually is to the 7 year hair cycle.
What is the theory about the seven year hair cycle and is it true?
“There is a theory that with the seven year hair cycle, the hair resets and can change in texture and length,” says Jane. “However, in the case of temporary hair shedding (telogen effluvium) where there is an increase in the number of hairs being shed as a result of illness, diet and stress (amongst other things), this will resolve itself once causative factors are addressed and will not impact on the diameter of the hair,” she says.
Does your hair really change every seven years?
“The human hair follicle grows in a continuous cyclical pattern. It’s growing phase, known as anagen determines how long the hair can grow and can last up to 7 years (depending on the individual),” Jane explains. “If your hair growth cycle is constantly disrupted, for example if it's not supported with good nutrition, you may find that your hair will not grow as long as it used to. This is because the hairs are never allowed to stay in the anagen phase long enough to reach the desired length,” she says.
What are the different hair phases?
Alongside “eras” our hair has different phases. Jane explains each below…
The Anagen phase
“The anagen phase is the growing stage of the hair. This phase of the hair growth cycle lasts an average of 3-5 years. The anagen phase is generally longer in people of Asian descent and can last as long as 7 years,” she says.
The Catagen phase
“At the end of anagen, the hair enters the catagen phase. This is known as the transitional phase which signals the end of active hair growth and can last approximately 10 days,” says Jane.
The Telogen phase
“Following the catagen phase is the telogen phase or resting phase of the hair cycle where the hair follicle is dormant, and growth of the hair shaft does not occur,” Jane says.
The Exogen phase
“The final stage is exogen where the hair is shed and then the cycle begins. Each hair follicle is independent, having its own growth cycle at different times,” says Jane. So you won't wake up with totally different hair. The new era of your hair will be introduced gradually depending on how quickly each follicle from the previous cycle sheds.
Does our hair (or hair cycle) change in terms of how it feels and looks over time, if so, how?
“Over time individuals may report changes to the thickness of their hair, describing the strands as being finer, becoming aware of a widening of the parting and noticing that their scalp is more visible. This is not a result of the hair shedding but is usually genetic and can be inherited from either parent or as a result of the hair follicle being naturally sensitive to normal levels of circulating androgens (male hormones). This means that your individual hairs are growing back finer and shorter over several years,” explains Jane.
But your hair density can also change temporarily based on lifestyle factors that interrupt the growth phase such as stress and illness. “If an individual is experiencing telogen effluvium which is a form of diffuse hair loss, this occurs when the anagen (growth) phase of the hair cycle is cut short by an internal disturbance in your body. This causes many more hairs than usual to move from their anagen phase into the telogen (resting) phase, resulting in excessive daily hair fall around three months later. Individuals will usually report an overall change in the volume of their hair describing it as being thinner and wispier on the ends,” says Jane.
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
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