Discovering the Incredible Structure of Hair
The beauty and vitality of your hair are the visible reflection of a complex and continuous biological cycle that takes place beneath the skin. Every single hair is an extraordinarily active structure, whose life cycle is regulated by the hair follicle—a true micro-organ embedded within the ecosystem of the scalp.
To understand how to preserve the density, shine, and strength of hair, it is essential to explore its structure and, above all, the three phases that govern its formation, growth, and physiological renewal.
How Is a Hair Structured? The Bio-Aesthetics of the Hair Fiber
Before analyzing the hair’s life cycle, it is helpful to understand the architecture of the hair fiber. When viewed in cross-section, a strand of hair is composed of three concentric layers:
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The Medulla: the innermost part, composed of loosely bound cells, which acts as the central core.
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The Cortex: the intermediate and densest layer, consisting of keratin microfibrils. It is the structural core of the hair, responsible for its elasticity, mechanical strength, and color (thanks to the presence of melanin pigments).
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The Cuticle: the outer layer, formed by flat, keratinized cells overlapping like roof tiles. The cuticle plays a purely protective role: when its scales are perfectly aligned and smooth, the hair reflects light, appearing shiny, soft, and protected from external aggressors.
The health of this structure depends entirely on the effectiveness of the metabolic activity that takes place at the base of the hair, within the scalp.
What are the three phases of the hair’s life cycle?
The hair follicle follows a repetitive, genetically programmed life cycle consisting of three main phases: Anagen (growth), Catagen (regression), and Telogen (rest and subsequent shedding). In a healthy, balanced scalp, approximately 85–90% of the follicles are constantly in the active growth phase, ensuring a thick and uniform head of hair.
1. Anagen Phase: The Engine of Active Growth
The Anagen phase represents the period of active hair growth. During this time, the cells of the hair bulb matrix divide at a very rapid rate (cell mitosis), pushing older cells upward, where they keratinize and form the visible hair shaft.
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Physiological duration: varies on average from 2 to 7 years, depending on genetic and hormonal factors and the health of the scalp. During this phase, hair grows about 1–1.5 cm per month.
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The aesthetic dynamic: a prolonged and vigorous anagen phase is the key to achieving significant length and thick hair shafts. If the follicular microenvironment is disrupted by toxins, excess sebum, or slowed microcirculation, the duration of this phase is drastically reduced, leading to progressively thinner and weaker hair.
The Treatsystemethod’s recommendation: To maximize the vitality of the anagen phase, it is essential to actively stimulate peripheral microcirculation and nourish the root. The energizing treatments and preventive protocols of the Energy hair loss treatment line and Prime hair loss prevention line act directly on the hair bulb’s receptivity, promoting the supply of oxygen and essential nutrients to support healthy, vigorous growth right from the root.
2. Catagen Phase: The delicate phase of transition and cellular rest
The Catagen phase marks the end of the active growth period. It is a very brief but biologically crucial transition phase during which the follicle ceases its reproductive activity.
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Physiological duration: approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
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The aesthetic process: During this phase, the lower part of the follicle contracts and moves upward toward the skin’s surface. The hair gently detaches from the dermal papilla (its source of blood-borne nutrients), preparing to enter the resting phase. The hair bulb takes on a characteristic “club-like” shape.
Treatsystemethod’s recommendation: During this delicate period of cellular readjustment, the scalp requires protection and an adequate supply of minerals to maintain skin elasticity. Using post-shampoo remineralizing treatments with a toning effect (such as the formulations in the Mineral line, enriched with precious botanical extracts and trace elements) helps maintain the skin’s water-salt balance, preserving the integrity of the tissue that houses the rising follicle.
We recommend Napura’s T|4 Mineral Post, a toning mineralizing treatment for dull and lackluster hair made with chestnut extract and trace elements, formulated to balance the scalp and help restore its water-salt balance.
3. Telogen Phase: Physiological Rest and Follicular Regeneration
The Telogen phase is the hair follicle’s resting period. During this phase, the hair no longer grows but remains weakly anchored within the follicular cavity, having lost its vital connections with the dermal papilla.
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Physiological duration: approximately 3 months. On average, it affects 10–15% of the total hair on the scalp.
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The aesthetic process: at the end of this period, the old hair falls out naturally during brushing or washing. At the same time, at the base of the same follicle, a new cell bud begins a new anagen phase, initiating the growth of a new hair that will push the previous one out.
Advice from the Treatsystemethod: One of the factors that most damages the Telogen phase is the accumulation of metabolic toxins and oxidative stress on the scalp. When toxins saturate the tissues, they hinder the optimal transition to the new growth cycle. The deep detoxification protocol of the Purify line is the fundamental Step 1 of the Treatsystemethod: ridding the scalp of impurities and metabolic residues is the only way to ensure that the new hair in the anagen phase grows in a healthy,and highly receptive.
How can you optimize the hair cycle with the Treatsystemethod?
Occasional hair loss, slowed growth, and the progressive thinning of the hair shaft are almost never isolated problems of the hair itself, but rather abnormalities linked to the scalp’s overall health.
Napura’s Treatsystemethod was developed to address these issues through a holistic and scientific-aesthetic approach:
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The Blue Glass Vial: it preserves the purity and extraordinary effectiveness of the synergies between ultra-pure essential oils and natural active ingredients, protecting them from oxidation caused by light and air so they can release their full functional power directly onto the scalp.
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Alternating treatments: Following seasonal cycles of detoxification, stimulation, and remineralization allows you to respect the hair’s natural cycle, providing the hair follicle with ideal nourishment at every specific stage of its biological journey.
Take care of your hair starting from its biological foundations. Consult your trusted Napura Salon for a personalized scalp analysis and step into the world of conscious, advanced beauty.
Start taking care of your hair with the Treatsystemethod.
