TLDR Hair follicle size and distribution vary significantly across different body sites.
The study examined hair follicle size and distribution in seven body sites of six healthy volunteers, revealing significant variations. The forehead had the highest follicle density (292 follicles/cm²) and smallest orifice diameters (66 μm), while the calf had the largest orifice diameters but lowest density (14 follicles/cm²). The forehead and calf also had the highest follicular infundibula volumes, indicating potential as reservoirs for topical substances. These findings underscored the importance of considering regional differences in hair follicle characteristics for optimizing drug and cosmetic formulations.
67 citations,
July 1985 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Men's thigh hair grows longer and has a longer growth cycle than women's, but arm hair growth is similar between genders.
162 citations,
August 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” The new "differential stripping" method effectively measures how much substance gets into hair follicles.
48 citations,
May 2008 in “Drug Discovery Today: Disease Mechanisms” Hair follicles offer promising targets for delivering drugs to treat hair and skin conditions.
28 citations,
November 2017 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that accurate diagnosis and treatment of scalp itch require differentiating between various conditions using a proposed five-step evaluation process.
109 citations,
November 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” Targeting hair follicles can improve skin treatments and reduce side effects.
51 citations,
January 2004 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” The document explains hair growth and shedding, factors affecting it, and methods to evaluate hair loss, emphasizing the importance of skin biopsy for diagnosis.
