TLDR Micro-injury can help regrow hair and repigment vitiligo by activating specific cells.
The study demonstrated that controlled micro-injury effectively induced hair regeneration and vitiligo repigmentation by activating specific stem cells and shifting hair follicles from the telogen to anagen phase. In a vitiligo model, micro-injury prompted melanocyte stem cells to migrate and repopulate depigmented areas. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was identified as crucial in this regeneration process. This research suggested that micro-injury could be a promising treatment method for conditions like alopecia and vitiligo.
163 citations
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April 2019 in “Nature Communications” Mechanical stretching of the skin can promote hair growth by activating certain immune cells.
236 citations
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April 2015 in “Cell” Plucking some hairs can trigger nearby unplucked hairs to grow back more due to a collective response.
829 citations
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May 2007 in “Nature” Hair follicles can regrow in wounded adult mouse skin using a process like embryo development.
September 2025 in “PubMed” Mechanical stimulation and new therapies show promise for hair regrowth.
2 citations
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July 2022 in “Frontiers in Medicine” Combining minoxidil with microneedling or spironolactone is more effective for female hair loss than using minoxidil alone.
5 citations
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October 2022 in “BMC genomics” Certain microRNAs are important for sheep hair follicle development and could help improve wool quality.
August 2024 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine” Low-level laser therapy is the most supported treatment for hair loss, but other methods show promise.
31 citations
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August 2021 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” The conclusion is that understanding how hair follicle stem cells live or die is important for maintaining healthy tissue and repairing injuries, and could help treat hair loss, but there are still challenges to overcome.
