Environment of the Anagen Follicle
January 2018
in “
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
”
anagen phase hair follicles dermal sheath vasculature adipocytes nerves arrector pili muscle systemic hormones follicle miniaturization androgenic alopecia hair follicle bulge stem cells hair growth phase blood vessels fat cells nerve cells muscle cells hormones hair thinning male pattern baldness hair root bulge hair growth cells
TLDR The document concludes that hair follicles have a complex environment and our understanding of it is growing, but there are limitations when applying animal study findings to humans.
The document from 2018 provided an in-depth look at the anagen phase of hair follicles, highlighting the complex and interactive environment in which they exist. It detailed the association of hair follicles with surrounding structures such as follicle groups, the dermal sheath, vasculature, adipocytes, nerves, and the arrector pili muscle. The study emphasized the importance of the vasculature in nutrient delivery and the potential influence of systemic hormones, while the role of adipocytes remained less clear. It also described the arrector pili muscle's role in hair movement and its connection to follicle miniaturization in androgenic alopecia, noting that detachment of muscle strands from a follicle is associated with follicle miniaturization. Additionally, the document discussed the hair follicle bulge, which contains stem cells vital for hair growth, and acknowledged that our understanding of these structures is still evolving, with rapid progress in research. However, it also pointed out the limitations of mouse model studies when applied to human hair due to differences in anagen phase and hair characteristics.
