The Eyelash Comes to the Fore: Significance in Aesthetics and Eye Protection
April 2016
in “
British Journal of Dermatology
”
eyelash hypotrichosis bimatoprost solution eyelash hair follicle EHF biology arrector pili muscles sex hormones stem cell maintenance hair cycle trichomegaly anagen phase androgenetic alopecia sparse eyelashes Latisse eyelash follicles hair growth phase excessive eyelash growth male pattern baldness
TLDR Eyelashes are important for looks and eye protection, and more people are treating sparse eyelashes; more research is needed to understand eyelash biology and improve treatments.
The document discusses the significance of eyelashes in both aesthetics and eye protection, noting the increasing number of patients seeking treatment for eyelash hypotrichosis (sparse eyelashes) with the introduction of bimatoprost solution. The article by Paus et al. in the British Journal of Dermatology is highlighted for providing a comprehensive overview of eyelash hair follicle (EHF) biology. It points out unique features of EHFs, such as the absence of arrector pili muscles and independence from sex hormones, and suggests that EHFs may share stem cell maintenance mechanisms with other hair follicles. The article also notes that EHFs have a shorter hair cycle and that certain drugs can induce trichomegaly (excessive eyelash growth) by prolonging the anagen phase. The need for better experimental approaches to further understand EHF biology and potentially develop more effective treatments for EHF hypotrichosis and possibly androgenetic alopecia is emphasized. The document concludes by recommending the work of Paus et al. to readers for its aggregation of essential knowledge on EHFs.
