Updated January 2023 By Dr Jonathan Palmer

Hair Follicles - How Many Do We Have On Our Scalps?

Hair follicles An Introduction

Your hair is a natural product made by your skin follicles.  On average, a person has 5 million hair follicles on their body with approximately one hundred thousand present on their scalp.

Diagram of hair follicle showing hair shaft, root and skin structures epidermis dermis hypodermis

Hair follicle and structures found within skin

It is thought that the number of follicles does not change significantly as you age.  A single follicle may produce multiple hair fibres that grow at approximately 1cm (3/8inch) per month.  The shape of each follicle determines whether the hair fibre produced is straight, wavy or curly. Circular follicles create straight hair and oval follicles create wavy or curly hair fibres.

Fibres naturally shed at the end of the follicle growth cycle often contain part of the root bulb. Either looking or feeling for the root bulb on the fibre is a good practice to do from time to time. Searching for the root bulb can indicate whether a shed hair fibre has snapped or been naturally shed, which is a good indicator of your hair's overall health.