Changes in the Aging Dermal Hair Follicle Environment in Female Scalp

The study investigated how the aging scalp dermal environment affects hair follicles by examining age-related changes in dermal fibroblasts (DFs) from the scalps of female donors aged 19-81 years (n=12). Researchers found that seven biomarkers associated with aging significantly changed with age. In DFs from donors over 50 years old (n=6), MMP-1 mRNA expression increased, while in those from women over 40 (n=6), there was a decrease in collagen XVI, sirtuin1, hyaluronic acid synthase type 2, protease nexin 1, versican, and vascular endothelial growth factor A. These changes suggest that aging can lead to alterations in the extracellular matrix structure and function, reduced migratory and proliferative activity of DFs, inhibited DF plasticity, impaired angiogenesis, and decreased protection against cellular senescence, all of which can significantly impact the hair follicle environment and contribute to hair aging.