What Is Club Hair? Understanding Causes, Treatment and More

The term “club hair” might conjure images of late-night partying and deafening music, but it’s actually the technical name for a type of hair strand. A pretty normal type of hair strand, to be honest.

Put simply, club hairs are fully formed hair strands that have stopped growing. They’re perfectly natural and generally not something you need to worry about. 

Every person you’ve ever met had club hairs at some point. Chances are you have  club hairs on your scalp right now. 

With that said, there can be some situations where club hairs are a big deal. Below, we dig into the hair growth cycle and explain how to identify club hairs.

To understand what club hairs are, you have to understand that every hair on your head has a life cycle — going through each of these phases:

• Anagen phase. This is the growth phase, during which the hair strand stretches to its full length. At any given time, around 90 percent of all scalp hair is in this phase.

• Catagen phase. Here, the hair follicle shrinks, hair growth slows and your hair prepares for the next phase. As part of this transition, a bulb — or club — made of keratin (the same type of protein that makes up the rest of your hair) forms at the end of the hair strand.

• Telogen phase. During this resting phase, the hair remains in place but stops growing.

After the telogen phase, the hair falls out and the cycle begins again. But the club formed in the catagen phase holds the hair follicle in your head for a time after it stops growing.

When you run your fingers through your hair and pull a few strands away, you’re typically holding club hairs — you can look at the base of those hairs and see a tiny, almost imperceptible little bulb.

No. Club hairs are a natural part of the hair growth process. 

This keratinized end cap actually serves an important purpose. As we mentioned above, a club hair follicle keeps your hair in place after it stops growing. This helps keep your hair looking full, lush and healthy. 

A club hair follicle is simply in a resting phase.

But while one club hair isn’t a problem, too many club hairs at one time could signal something’s not right.

It’s normal to lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day — and most of them will be club hairs. 

Sometimes, however, hair strands break. Hair breakage can cause fragments of your hair strands to end up on your pillow, in your brush and down your shower drain.

So, how can you tell whether a hair is a club hair or not? 

The first step is to look out for a light-colored or black bulb at the end of the hair strand (that is, the part closest to the scalp). This would be a “club.” Next, consider the length. Since club hairs are fully grown, they’re usually longer. 

Broken hairs, or hairs that fall out prematurely, won’t have a bulb — and they’re often shorter in length. 

Because club hairs are part of the hair cycle, it’s normal to have some, but there are a number of conditions that can cause your club hairs to act unexpectedly. 

Collectively, we refer to these conditions as telogen effluvium. 

If you’re experiencing telogen effluvium, you may have more telogen or club hairs than  normal  (roughly 10 percent of all your hair strands).

That atypical ratio could signify a delayed telogen release, meaning your hair follicles are staying “clubbed” instead of falling out — resulting in fewer hairs going into the anagen phase.

Alternatively, you might have hairs that immediately release upon entering the telogen stage, which can cause the appearance of temporary hair thinning as all of the hibernating follicles roll over into anagen territory.

Telogen effluvium might also be the result of a shorter anagen phase caused by certain disorders.

For the record, some telogen effluvium conditions don’t require club hairs at all — they cause anagen release, which is a sudden skip-the-club-phase of hair release.

Wondering what exactly triggers telogen effluvium? Generally, it’s caused by severe shock to the system from issues like:

• Significant stress or trauma

• Surgery

• Severe blood loss

• Certain illnesses

• Infections and high fever

• Hormonal changes

• Nutritional deficiencies

Telogen effluvium can result in temporary hair loss. This often looks like thinning hair all over your scalp. After this, it can take a few months for your hair to return to normal. 

The good news? There are some things you can do to speed up parts of the hair regrowth process.

Club hairs aren’t a problem that necessarily needs treatment. But if you have excessive club hairs, you may have telogen effluvium, which can be treated.

Because telogen effluvium is usually caused by another disease or stressor, hair typically starts growing normally again once you’ve properly addressed the root issue.

That said, certain hair loss treatments can reduce or prevent the effects of telogen effluvium and excessive club hairs.

Medication

A topical medication called minoxidil is one of the most popular telogen effluvium treatments. 

Applying it to your scalp stimulates hair follicles to enter the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. This might result in some temporary hair shedding, but after a few months, you should notice healthy hair growth again.  

Studies show that minoxidil users could see a nearly 20 percent increase in hair growth over a 48-week period, though it should be taken with care, as it can cause blood pressure concerns for some individuals.

You can purchase minoxidil foam or minoxidil solution over the counter, depending on your preferences.

If you’re experiencing male pattern baldness (aka androgenetic alopecia) as well as telogen effluvium, it might be a good idea to speak with a doctor about finasteride, another FDA-approved hair loss treatment. 

Finasteride stops your body from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can attach to hair follicles and shrink them — causing male pattern hair loss. There’s a spray for that, by the way.

Healthy Hair Care Habits

Taking good care of your hair can help prevent excess shedding of club hairs. 

That means avoiding both super-tight hairstyles and harsh chemicals. They tend to damage hair, and damaged hair is more prone to breakage. Tight hairstyles can also lead to traction alopecia — a type of permanent hair loss caused by putting too much strain on the hair follicles.

Instead, try the following hair care habits:

• Keep your scalp and hair clean. If you have dandruff, use a dandruff detox shampoo to keep your scalp clear and comfortable.

• Use gentle hairstyling techniques — never brush your hair too roughly.

• Try hair loss shampoos like our thickening shampoo with saw palmetto. Our volumizing shampoo and conditioner can also improve the appearance of limp, thin hair. 

• Treat damaged, dry hair with hydrating hair products. 

• Give yourself frequent scalp massages to stimulate your hair follicles. 

Need more tips? Speak with your barber or stylist and ask if they have any hair product recommendations for your specific hair type. 

Lifestyle Changes

A healthy lifestyle can benefit your body, inside and out — including your hair. 

To avoid telogen effluvium, you can try to:

• Manage your stress levels. Easier said than done, we know, but since severe stress can cause telogen effluvium, healthy de-stressing techniques can go a long way. 

• Get all those good nutrients. Eating a healthy, balanced diet ensures that your body has the nutrients it needs to make new hair cells. Try a biotin supplement if you need a little help.  

• Quit smoking. If you needed extra encouragement to put down the cigarettes, this is it: Research suggests that smoking may cause hair loss.

These lifestyle changes won’t just benefit your hairline, but your skin, internal organs and mood. That’s what we call a win-win-win-win.

If you notice a tiny bulb at the end of one of your hair strands, you’re probably looking at a club hair. Don’t stress — club hairs aren’t an issue in themselves. 

• Club hairs look like regular hairs, but they have a little light-colored or black bulb at the end of the hair strand.

• Club hairs are normal. When fully formed hairs stop growing, they become a club hair. The club-shaped bulb simply holds the hair in place for a while before it falls out. 

• But excess club hairs can be a concern. They may be a sign that your normal hair growth cycle is getting interrupted. Healthy lifestyle choices, hair care techniques and hair loss treatments can help keep hair growing normally. 

Club hairs or not, if you’re experiencing sudden hair loss, it’s a good idea to get medical advice from a professional. Sometimes, hair loss is a symptom of an underlying health condition.  

We can connect with a healthcare professional — who can help you identify hair loss and explore possible hair loss treatment options — online.