New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- A hair follicle is a small tunnel-like structure embedded in the skin. It anchors the hair strand and houses the cells responsible for producing new hair. At the base of each follicle sits the dermal papilla - a cluster of specialised cells that communicate with the bloodstream and signal when hair should grow.

Each follicle has its own blood supply, sebaceous gland, and a small muscle called the arrector pili. It's a functioning mini-organ, and like any organ, it needs the right inputs to perform well.

Hair doesn't grow continuously. Every follicle cycles through three distinct phases:

At any given time, around 85 to 90 percent of your scalp hairs are in the anagen phase. When something disrupts this balance - il...