The rate of hair growth and loss varies a lot between people. I
do not know the source of your info but even if it is right, it is
true only for a certain group of people. Hair goes through growth
phase and involution phases...we call anagen, catagen and telogen
phases, which can be affected by hormones and other
influences..
Little ant's sis asked me a similar question before...some research
was done in Oxford recently to answer the question as to why some
Africans don't ever need to cut their hair. I didn't realize that
too! At first it was thought their hair grows more slowly but it
turns out that under the electron microscope, negro hair is more
oval and twisted. They tend to form knots and during combing, more
of the hair tends to be lost. In contrast, Caucasian and Oriental
hair is more rounded and smooth, less likely to form knots and
fewer hair drop during hair care.
Some people have longer growth phase and shorter involution
phase...so it is possible to have longer hair. i am not certain
about the figures you mentioned in any case but there is so much
variability between individuals that I don;t think the figures you
quoted are accurate. In any case, not all hair follicles are in
growth phase or resolution phase at the same time, so you do not
lose all your hair because not all the hair follicles undergo
involution at the same time.
