This post is actually my comment to a blogpost featured on Alopecia World forum

"Normally, hair growth have three to four phases. The anagen (active growing phase), catagen ( involuting/ regressing phase) and telogen (arrested phase) and less notible exogen (shedding phase)UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. At any time most of the hair (about 90%) is in the anagen phase, a few % in catagen, and about 10% in telogen phase.The hair on our head have long anagen phase (several years) and short telogen phase ( a few months) while our eyebrows have shorter anagen phase (several months) and longer telogen phase (more than a few months). This explains why our hair in much longer and actively growing on our head while our eyebrows are shorter.Many studies have related alopecia areata with the hair growth phases/cycle. Many results suggest that the T-lymphocytes have held the hair follicle arrested for a much longer period (abnormal) in the telogen phase, as well as catagen phase (which then is related to exogen...when the hair shed).So basically, for people like me with alopecia universalis. I have about 80% of the hair on my scalp under abnormally long telogen phase or catagen phase while only a few dozen strands scattered across my head with normal hair growth phases. Thats why I still need to shave my head at least once every two days to keep my head clean.While we still couldn't predict our hair loss, we still know what is happening to our hair.You can check more information about what happened to our hair follicle as in alopecia areata at my blog @ http://joshuablogspace.blogspot.com/ and click onto the alopecia archive/label starting on February 17th ( a series of article about alopecia areata) which I have written a few months earlier.Hope you'll find it useful and informative.Take care.jt"

Joshua