Androgenetic Alopecia: New Insights into the Pathogenesis and Mechanism of Hair Loss

January 2016

Rodney Sinclair, Niloufar Torkamani, Leslie Jones

androgenetic alopecia AGA arrector pili muscle bulge stem cell population miniaturization alopecia areata

TLDR The arrector pili muscle plays a key role in hair loss in androgenetic alopecia.

The document discussed new insights into the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), highlighting the role of the arrector pili muscle in hair loss. It was previously thought to be inactive in hair disease, but 3D reconstructions showed its involvement in the diffuse hair loss seen in women with AGA, as opposed to the patterned baldness in men. The study suggested that the loss of attachment between the bulge stem cell population and the arrector pili muscle explained the irreversible miniaturization in AGA, unlike in alopecia areata. A new model for AGA progression was proposed.

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