Healthy Regrowth: A Term Worth Abandoning

On the Concept of “Healthy Regrowth”

The term healthy regrowth is a bit of an invented term. Doctors use it. Patients use it. Hair stylists use it. Best friends use it. Family members use it.

The term sure sounds good but it carries little meaning. I don’t use it. Regrowth is regrowth. If a hair is pointy at the end it’s regrowth. It may be a terminal large anagen hair that is regrowing, or a miniaturizing terminal hair that is regrowing or a vellus hair that is regrowing. Seeing regrowth on the scalp does not necessarily signal a normal process and favourable process. What might be observed is regrowth in patient with androgenetic alopecia. What might be observed is regrowth in a patient with ongoing telogen effluvium. What might be observed is regrowth in a patient with healthy hair and without any hair issues at all.

Regrowth is regrowth. If one is going to use the word regrowth it’s more appropriate to add a qualifying term such as “regrowth of a terminal anagen hair” or “regrowth of a terminal miniaturizing hair” or “regrowth of a vellus hair.” These are by no means the only types of ‘regrowing hairs’ but they are the more important ones to note.