Can You Reactivate Your Hair Follicles?

By: Sophie O'Kelly | Feb 04, 2023

Mostly everyone wants a full, luscious head of hair, and the key lies within your hair follicles. Hair follicles are tiny, pocket-like holes in the skin that grow hair. If you've noticed more thinning hair and hair loss than usual, you might have some inactive hair follicles.

Keep reading to find out what the experts recommend to stimulate inactive hair follicles — plus, find out what vegan hair products can help you encourage thicker looking hair.

What Are Inactive Hair Follicles?

A hair follicle is a structure in the outer layer of skin. Hair strands start growing at the bottom of the hair follicle, where the root is nourished by nearby blood vessels. The hair is made from protein cells; as more cells are created, the hair begins to grow out from the skin to reach the surface. Sebaceous glands near the hair follicles produce oil that helps keep the skin and hair healthy.

Healthy hair grows according to the following hair growth cycles:

Anagen stage (growth stage): This is when the hair grows from the root. The stage usually lasts between three and seven years.
Catagen stage (transitional stage): This is when the hair growth cycle slows down, and the hair follicles shrink. This stage lasts between two and four months.
Telogen phase (resting stage): This is when the body is preparing to shed hair, so hairs in this stage neither grow nor fall out. The stage usually lasts between three and four months and affects about 9% of your hair.
Exogen phase (shedding phase): During this phase, the body sheds some hair in preparation for new hair to grow from the roots. This stage often overlaps with the anagen stage.

The average person loses approximately 100 strands of hair a day, and roughly 90% of hair follicles are in the anagen phase at any time. Hair loss can occur if the hair follicle isn't nourished properly. It can be challenging to distinguish between damaged hair follicles and hair loss that happens because of where your hair is in the growth cycle, but if you develop shiny patches on your scalp that show no signs of new hair growth, you likely have some inactive hair follicles.

Dermatologist and cosmetologist Dr. Anju Methil, MBBS, DVD, M.D., explained, "Inactive hair follicles are those that have stopped producing new hair. This can happen for many reasons, including damage to the follicle, aging or hormonal changes. When hair follicles become inactive, the hair they once produced falls out, leading to hair loss. In some cases, inactive hair follicles can be revived and produce new hair again. However, once a hair follicle is lost, it is gone for good."

Shop: GRO Collection for Thicker, Fuller Looking Hair

Types of Hair Loss

Whether you're struggling with a receding hairline or more strands in your hairbrush than usual, discuss your symptoms with a medical professional. Several reasons exist for hair loss or increased shedding, including:

Androgenic alopecia: This condition is also known as male-pattern hair loss or female-pattern baldness. Hair falls out in a defined pattern, and the culprit is dihydrotestosterone, aka DHT, which is produced from testosterone. Genetics can also play a part in this condition.
Telogen effluvium: Often, if you experience prolonged stress or unexpected trauma, your hair reacts by falling out, which is known as telogen effluvium.
Alopecia areata: AA is a type of hair loss thought to be caused by an autoimmune disorder. It can occur anywhere on the body and is also exacerbated by stress and trauma. The body attacks its own hair follicles, and bald patches can appear on the scalp.

When not applied with care, chemical treatments can cause traumatic alopecia and negatively impact hair follicles. So, visiting a trusted professional when bleaching hair or getting strands relaxed is very important. Hair loss can also be triggered by fungal infections that cause the scalp to become flaky and scaly.

How To Reactivate Hair Follicles

If you suspect inactive hair follicles, don't panic, there are things you can do. Because your scalp is where your hair follicles reside, it's very important to start there.

Give Yourself Regular Scalp Massages

The hair follicles are nourished by the surrounding blood vessels. Invigorate the area by massaging your scalp with a specially designed scalp massager. The GRO Scalp Massager features a series of bristles designed to boost scalp health and stimulate hair follicles by activating blood flow. It can be used on wet or dry hair and can also help relieve stress.

More: The 5 Benefits of Scalp Massage (Including Hair Growth!)

Avoid Nutritional Deficiencies

"Make sure to include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as lean protein," said Methil. "This helps follicles to function properly." Additionally, ensure your diet is rich with vitamin C, omega fatty acids, iron, zinc and magnesium to keep your body running in peak condition.

Drink More Water

"Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water every day," said Methil. "Proper hydration ensures that the scalp and hair follicles are able to function properly and produce healthy, strong hair. Dehydration can lead to a variety of problems, including dryness, itchiness, flaking and even hair loss."

Identify Medical Conditions

Sudden hair fall can signal that something is wrong with your health, nutrition or hair care habits. If you experience sudden hair loss, check in with a dermatologist or primary caregiver.

Control Unhealthy Habits

"Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption," advised Methil. "Alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration, which in turn can cause dry and brittle hair. Alcohol can also strip the natural oils from your scalp, leading to an unhealthy scalp environment."

Read: Smoking and Hair Loss — Are They Connected?

Try Essential Oils

Many believe that an essential oil or two could help speed up the process if you want to reactivate dormant hair follicles. For example, rosemary essential oil and peppermint essential oil are all-natural remedies that can potentially help tackle problems with the hair shaft and clogged or damaged hair follicles. Still, the research is limited, and results often vary.

Use a Hair Serum

Our bestselling GRO Hair Serum uses a clinically tested combination of vegan phyto-actives to soothe the scalp and revitalize hair at its roots. The formula is formulated without toxic chemicals and has been proven in multiple studies to increase the appearance of hair density and help reduce the signs of shedding with consistent use.

Consider Restoration Services

If you've tried all the natural remedies and consulted with your doctor but are still living with flagging hair follicles, it could be time to consider more permanent solutions. Though more research is needed to confirm the results, red light laser therapy is a process that might help revive troubled hair follicles. A hair transplant might also be helpful.

See: How Much Is a Hair Transplant? Read This Before Committing

The Final Word

Your hair can fall out for a number of reasons. To keep hair follicles functioning as they should, you maintain a nutritious diet, manage stress levels and use products that keep strands glossy and healthy without the use of toxic or harsh ingredients. To tackle hair fall head-on, make hair wellness a priority with VEGAMOUR's collection of all-natural, effective hair products. Each product is designed to encourage optimal scalp and hair health for your very best hair yet!