Melatonin and the Hair Follicle

October 2007 in “ Journal of pineal research ”

Tobias W. Fischer, Andrƶej Slominski, Desmond J. Tobin, Ralf Paus

melatonin melatonin receptors MT2 RORalpha hair follicles anagen phase catecholamines apoptosis estrogen receptor-alpha antioxidant properties DNA repair hair bulb metabolic stress proliferative stress growth phase antioxidant

Studysummary This study suggests that melatonin plays a role in hair follicle function by modulating growth and pigmentation, and it may act as a protective agent in active hair growth phases.

Automatically generated from the study's abstract, not written by a person, and not a review of the full paper. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Read the original study, and consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

View this study on onlinelibrary.wiley.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

41 / 41 results

research Dissecting the Impact of Chemotherapy on the Human Hair Follicle

99 citations , September 2007 in “The American journal of pathology”

This study found that organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles can mimic chemotherapy-induced damage in vivo and serve as a model to explore molecular targets and protective agents for hair follicle preservation.

research Human Hair Follicles Are an Extrarenal Source and a Nonhematopoietic Target of Erythropoietin

71 citations , May 2007 in “The FASEB journal”

This study found that human hair follicles express erythropoietin and its receptor, suggesting these follicles may use erythropoietin signaling to modulate apoptosis under stress conditions like hypoxia and chemotherapy.

research The Hair Follicle as an Estrogen Target and Source

159 citations , July 2006 in “Endocrine Reviews”

This article discusses the influence of estrogens on hair follicle growth and metabolism, suggesting a significant role alongside androgens in hair growth control but reports no new clinical results.

research Neuroimmunology of Stress: Skin Takes Center Stage

375 citations , July 2006 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This review discusses the brain-skin connection, the skin's role in stress response, and highlights unmet challenges in understanding stress-induced skin inflammation but reports no new experimental findings.

Human Scalp Hair Follicles Are Both a Target and a Source of Prolactin, Which Serves as an Autocrine and/or Paracrine Promoter of Apoptosis-Driven Hair Follicle Regression

research Human Scalp Hair Follicles Are Both a Target and a Source of Prolactin, Which Serves as an Autocrine and/or Paracrine Promoter of Apoptosis-Driven Hair Follicle Regression

128 citations , March 2006 in “American Journal of Pathology”

The study found that prolactin expressed in human scalp hair follicles acts as an autocrine modulator, inhibiting hair growth and promoting hair follicle regression, which may contribute to hair loss in hyper-prolactinemia patients.

research Therapeutic Strategies for Treating Hair Loss

42 citations , March 2006 in “Drug Discovery Today: Therapeutic Strategies”

This article discusses the need for rational strategies in developing hair loss drugs targeting specific events in hair follicle cycling, reporting no clinical findings but emphasizing the importance of understanding molecular controls.

research The Impact of Body Site, Topical Melatonin, and Brushing on Hair Regrowth After Clipping Normal Siberian Husky Dogs

17 citations , January 2006 in “Veterinary Dermatology”

This study found that topical melatonin and vigorous brushing did not affect hair regrowth in clipped Siberian Huskies, although lumbosacral hairs grew significantly shorter than lateral thigh hairs.

research Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone and the Skin

137 citations , January 2006 in “Frontiers in bioscience”

This review discusses the role of corticotropin-releasing hormone in human skin, focusing on its regulation, receptors, and functions, and highlights parallels with the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis; it reports no new research findings.

research Hair Growth Inhibition by Psychoemotional Stress: A Mouse Model for Neural Mechanisms in Hair Growth Control

127 citations , December 2005 in “Experimental Dermatology”

This study provides evidence that psychoemotional stress inhibits hair growth in mice by affecting the brain-hair follicle axis, with specific neuropeptides and treatments modulating this effect.

research Hair Pigmentation: A Research Update

16 citations , November 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings”

This review discusses various aspects of hair color, including its formation and evolutionary variations, based on research presented at the 4th Intercontinental Meeting of Hair Research Societies 2004, without providing new experimental results.

research Neuroimmunoendocrine Circuitry of the Brain-Skin Connection

293 citations , November 2005 in “Trends in Immunology”

This study indicates that stress in mice recruits specific neuroimmunoendocrine elements, leading to neurogenic skin inflammation that inhibits hair growth and highlights the skin's role in stress response research.

research Hair Melanocytes as Neuro-Endocrine Sensors—Pigments for Our Imagination

43 citations , October 2005 in “Molecular and cellular endocrinology”

This review discusses how the CRH/POMC systems may regulate human hair follicle pigmentation and highlights the concept of "self-similarity" in melanocortin systems at both local and systemic levels, without presenting new experimental results.

The Role of Melatonin in Neuroectodermal-Mesodermal Interactions: The Hair Follicle Synthesizes Melatonin and Expresses Functional Melatonin Receptors

research The Role of Melatonin in Neuroectodermal-Mesodermal Interactions: The Hair Follicle Synthesizes Melatonin and Expresses Functional Melatonin Receptors

122 citations , July 2005 in “The FASEB journal”

This study found that hair follicles in both mice and humans may serve as an important site for melatonin synthesis and signaling, potentially influencing hair cycle regulation by modulating keratinocyte apoptosis.

research Human Hair Follicles Display a Functional Equivalent of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and Synthesize Cortisol

489 citations , June 2005 in “The FASEB Journal”

This study found that human scalp hair follicles can respond to corticotropin releasing hormone stimulation similarly to the classical HPA axis, including up-regulating cortisol production and activating neuroendocrine feedback loops.

research The Cutaneous Serotoninergic/Melatoninergic System: Securing a Place Under the Sun

349 citations , January 2005 in “The FASEB journal”

This review discusses the cutaneous serotoninergic/melatoninergic system's potential role in skin function and resilience against environmental and internal stresses, but does not report new experimental findings.

research On the Role of Melatonin in Skin Physiology and Pathology

222 citations , January 2005 in “Endocrine journal”

This article discusses the potential role of melatonin in protecting skin against stress and maintaining homeostasis, based on its local synthesis and various protective functions, but presents no new clinical results.

research Hair Follicle Pigmentation: Mechanisms and Factors Influencing Melanin Production

450 citations , January 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This article reviews follicular melanogenesis, detailing how melanin synthesis and its regulation in hair follicles depend on a complex interplay of cellular and molecular mechanisms, but reports no new clinical findings.

Melatonin Increases Anagen Hair Rate in Women With Androgenetic Alopecia or Diffuse Alopecia: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

research Melatonin Increases Anagen Hair Rate in Women With Androgenetic Alopecia or Diffuse Alopecia: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

78 citations , February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This article reviews the potential impact of melatonin on hair growth, noting its benefits observed in animals, but reports no clinical results in humans to date.

research Topical Estrogen Accelerates Hair Regrowth in Mice After Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia by Favoring the Dystrophic Catagen Response Pathway to Damage

76 citations , January 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

research Epithelial Growth Control by Neurotrophins: Leads and Lessons from the Hair Follicle

99 citations , January 2004 in “Progress in brain research”

This review examines the role of neurotrophins in hair follicle development and remodeling, highlighting potential therapeutic applications for hair growth disorders, but it reports no new empirical findings.

research Characterization of the Serotoninergic System in the C57BL/6 Mouse Skin

84 citations , July 2003 in “European journal of biochemistry”

This study found that mouse skin can produce and metabolize serotonin and N-acetylserotonin, with activity influenced by location, physiological skin status, cell type, and mouse strain.

Prolactin and Its Receptor Are Expressed in Murine Hair Follicle Epithelium, Show Hair Cycle-Dependent Expression, and Induce Catagen

research Prolactin and Its Receptor Are Expressed in Murine Hair Follicle Epithelium, Show Hair Cycle-Dependent Expression, and Induce Catagen

91 citations , May 2003 in “American Journal of Pathology”

This study found that prolactin and its receptor are expressed in the murine hair follicle epithelium, influencing hair cycle phases by down-regulating keratinocyte proliferation during anagen and inducing premature catagen.

research HaCaT Cell Proliferation Influenced by Melatonin

28 citations , January 2003 in “Skin pharmacology and physiology”

This study found that melatonin's effect on HaCaT keratinocyte proliferation varied with concentration and incubation time, with no cytotoxic effects observed at suitable concentrations for skin treatment.

research 17α-Estradiol Induces Aromatase Activity in Intact Human Anagen Hair Follicles Ex Vivo

94 citations , August 2002 in “Experimental Dermatology”

This study found that 17α‐estradiol increases aromatase activity in female hair follicles, which may explain its beneficial effects in treating androgenetic alopecia.

research Serotoninergic And Melatoninergic Systems Are Fully Expressed In Human Skin

249 citations , April 2002 in “The FASEB journal”

This study provides evidence that human skin contains genes and enzymes necessary for producing serotonin and melatonin.

research The Biology of Hair Follicles

1113 citations , August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

This article discusses the biologic and psychosocial significance of hair, the current limitations in hair growth drugs, and anticipates future therapies based on advancing hair follicle research.

research Neural Mechanisms of Hair Growth Control

101 citations , January 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

This review discusses neural mechanisms involved in hair growth control, focusing on piloneural interactions, but reports no clinical findings; the authors suggest further exploration for managing hair growth disorders.

research The Localization and Characterization of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Receptors and the Investigation of Melatonin Receptors on the Hair Follicles of Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Fiber-Producing Goats

26 citations , October 1996 in “Journal of Endocrinology/Journal of endocrinology”

This study concluded that IGF-I receptors are present on hair follicles and sebaceous glands of cashmere and Angora goats, but melatonin receptors are absent.

research Androgen Metabolism as It Affects Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia

143 citations , October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

Too much androgen can cause hair loss; finasteride may help.

research Seasonal Fiber Growth Cycles of Ferrets (Mustela Putorius Furo) and Long-Term Effects of Melatonin Treatment

26 citations , August 1995 in “The journal of experimental zoology/Journal of experimental zoology”

This study found that administering melatonin to ferrets can advance the timing of fur growth and reproductive cycles influenced by daylength and hormonal control.

research Growth of Secondary Hair Follicles of the Cashmere Goat In Vitro and Their Response to Prolactin and Melatonin

56 citations , August 1994 in “PubMed”

This study found that prolactin and melatonin both stimulated hair shaft elongation in Cashmere goat hair follicles, with maximum growth observed at specific concentrations, although melatonin reduced follicle viability after 96 hours.

research Melanogenesis During the Anagen-Catagen-Telogen Transformation of the Murine Hair Cycle

161 citations , June 1994 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study found that the switch-off of melanogenesis during the hair cycle in C57 BL-6 mice is a gradual and stochastic process starting in mid anagen VI, with specific biochemical markers indicating the transition to catagen.

Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Mice: Induction by Cyclophosphamide, Inhibition by Cyclosporine A, and Modulation by Dexamethasone

research Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Mice: Induction by Cyclophosphamide, Inhibition by Cyclosporine A, and Modulation by Dexamethasone

36 citations , April 1994 in “PubMed”

This study introduces a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced alopecia, which effectively replicates human chemotherapy-induced hair loss and can be pharmacologically manipulated to study hair regrowth patterns.

research Murine Skin as a Target for Melatonin Bioregulation

57 citations , February 1994 in “Experimental dermatology”

This study found that murine skin is a target for melatonin bioregulation, as melatonin affected DNA synthesis and tyrosinase activity in skin organ culture.

research Fiber Growth Initiation in Hair Follicles of Goats Treated with Melatonin

48 citations , September 1993 in “The journal of experimental zoology/Journal of experimental zoology”

In this study, melatonin implants advanced and synchronized spring hair growth in goats by initiating fiber growth earlier than in untreated goats, with associated suppression of normal prolactin rise.

Melanogenesis Is Coupled to Murine Anagen: Toward New Concepts for the Role of Melanocytes and the Regulation of Melanogenesis in Hair Growth

research Melanogenesis Is Coupled to Murine Anagen: Toward New Concepts for the Role of Melanocytes and the Regulation of Melanogenesis in Hair Growth

210 citations , July 1993 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This review discusses the role of intrinsic skin signals, rather than serum signals, in regulating melanin synthesis and hair pigmentation, but reports no new experimental data.

research Melatonin

220 citations , August 1988 in “Clinical endocrinology”

This review provides a comprehensive overview of melatonin's physiological roles, effects, and clinical implications, but it does not present new experimental findings.

research Effects of Alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone and [8-Arginine]-Vasotocin on Melanogenesis in Hair Follicle Melanocytes In Vitro

12 citations , December 1981 in “Journal of Endocrinology”

This study found that α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone increased melanin production in hair follicles of moulting Siberian hamsters, whereas [8-arginine]-vasotocin inhibited melanin production without affecting tyrosinase activity.