The hair follicles on your head, on the other hand, are programmed to let hair grow for years at a time, so the hair can grow very long. Animals that shed have hair follicles that synchronize their rest phase. So all of the follicles enter the rest phase at once. Therefore, all the hair falls off at one time. A dog that sheds will lose its hair in large clumps.
Many animals can also switch the coloring agent in the hair follicle on and off.
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