TLDR  Mustard gas exposure causes hair loss, but treating with N-acetylcysteine can prevent it.   
  In 2004, researchers discovered that guinea pigs exposed to 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), a mustard gas analog, experienced significant hair loss without visible skin damage, indicating that hair loss could be a biomarker for subacute mustard gas exposure. Microscopic examination showed hair follicle regression and decreased keratinocyte proliferation. Pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was found to prevent this hair loss, suggesting NAC's potential as a treatment for mustard gas toxicity. The exact number of guinea pigs involved in the study was not mentioned.
            194 citations
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  March 2003   in “American Journal of Pathology”
           194 citations
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  March 2003   in “American Journal of Pathology”    Stress stops hair growth in mice by causing early hair growth phase end and harmful inflammation through a specific nerve-related pathway.  
      75 citations
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  October 1996   in “Dermatologic Clinics”
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  October 1996   in “Dermatologic Clinics”    Chronic Telogen Effluvium is a hair loss condition in middle-aged women that usually doesn't lead to complete baldness.  
    
  
        
        94 citations
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  January 2007   in “Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology”
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  January 2007   in “Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology”    Iranian veterans exposed to sulfur mustard suffer from long-term skin itching and eye damage, with some risk of skin cancer and ongoing management challenges.  
               3 citations
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  July 2023   in “Cells”    MG53 helps reduce skin damage caused by nitrogen mustard.  
      68 citations
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  November 2012   in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”
           68 citations
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  November 2012   in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”    Prostaglandin D2 blocks new hair growth after skin injury through the Gpr44 receptor.  
     ![Influence of FHIT on Benzo[a]pyrene-Induced Tumors and Alopecia in Mice: Chemoprevention by Budesonide and N-Acetylcysteine](/images/research/f8f56777-f891-4879-8c45-c87d6aa82563/small/35499.jpg) 24 citations
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  May 2006   in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”
           24 citations
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  May 2006   in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”    Budesonide and N-acetylcysteine reduced tumors and alopecia in mice, regardless of FHIT gene status.  
      
    Monocyclic aromatic compounds are important for developing various drugs and treatments.