Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human
body: the average rate of growth is about onehalf
inch a month. Optimal hair growth occurs
from age 15 to 30, slows down from age 40 to
50, and is progressively lost by about age 50.
Most men lose hair to some degree by age 35
and are more likely to lose their hair than are
women. On a healthy scalp, 90% to 95% of hair
follicles are growing, less than 1% is declining,
and 5% to 10% are resting. The prognosis for
encouraging hair growth is favorable if