telogen

noun

te·​lo·​gen ˈtē-lə-ˌjen 

: the resting phase of the hair growth cycle that typically lasts three months, is preceded by anagen and catagen, and is usually followed by shedding of the hair shaft during exogen

Note: Anagen will immediately follow telogen if hair is not shed at the end of telogen during the exogen phase.

Examples of telogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This consists of a growth phase called anagen, a regression phase (catagen), a rest phase (telogen), and shedding (exogen). —Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2025

Your hair has three stages of growth: the anagen stage, the catagen stage, and the telogen stage. —Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025

Once a follicle enters the resting (telogen) phase and remains inactive, hair growth stalls, and thinning and eventual baldness ensue. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2025

This condition is called telogen effluvium, and reportedly affects upwards of 50% of new moms. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

telo- + -gen

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

telogen

noun

te·​lo·​gen ˈtē-lə-ˌjen 

: the resting phase of the hair growth cycle that typically lasts three months, is preceded by anagen and catagen, and is usually followed by shedding of the hair shaft during exogen

Note: Anagen will immediately follow telogen if hair is not shed at the end of telogen during the exogen phase.

Scalp hairs spend four to eight years in anagen and just two to four months in telogen.

—Julianne Dunphy

The remaining 10 percent of hairs are in a resting phase called telogen that lasts about three months, after which the resting hairs start falling out.

—Jane E. Brody