Will Pulled Hair Grow Back?

Losing hair can be a traumatic experience, especially when it's pulled out from the scalp. It can seem like it will never grow back. Then again, when it comes to hair removal, plucking is often preferred for that exact reason. Yet pulling hair out, even by the root, doesn't necessarily mean it won't grow back.

Facts

• Hairs grow from areas of the skin called follicles. Oil glands open into the follicles, which are lined with old cells from the epidermal layer of the skin. Follicles produce hair in a five-year cycle of growth and rest. Normally, up to 90 percent of follicles are growing hair at any one time. The average rate of hair growth is six inches per year.

Considerations

• Whether or not a pulled hair grows back depends entirely upon how much damage the follicle received. Even under the best circumstances, it can take several months for the hair to return. If, however, the follicle is severely damaged, the hair loss can indeed be permanent.

  When a pulled hair does grow back, it may never be the same again. Formerly straight hair can return thinner or kinky and wavy. Once the follicle properly heals, normal hair consistency may return. If the same patch of hair is repeatedly pulled out, perhaps due to using a curling iron or other hair care appliances, a general thinning of the hair may develop called traction alopecia.

  A diet rich in iron and protein may promote healthy hair growth.

Time Frame

• If a pulled hair doesn't grow back right away, don't panic. Hair regrowth will differ depending on the amount of damage to the follicle and where the follicle is in its natural hair growth cycle. It's not unusual for a hair to take three months or more to return. And it can take years before a pulled hair regains its former texture and consistency.

Misconceptions

• A common myth states that plucking a gray hair will cause two gray hairs to grow in its place. There's no truth to this whatsoever. People who plucked their first gray hair only to discover the harsh realities of the natural aging process no doubt perpetuated the fallacy.

Warnings

• Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder in which sufferers pull out their own hair, from not only their scalps but from other areas of the body, including the eyelashes. The hair pulling often serves as a coping mechanism during periods of stress or anxiety. The condition can be treated with cognitive behavior therapy and medication.