The Potential Relevance of the Microbiome to Hair Physiology and Regeneration: The Emerging Role of Metagenomics

The review paper discusses the role of the microbiome, particularly bacteria, in hair physiology and regeneration. It suggests that changes in the follicular microbiome can influence immune responses, inflammation, and potentially lead to inflammatory hair disorders like alopecia areata and primary cicatricial alopecia. The paper also highlights the association of conditions like dandruff and androgenetic alopecia with changes in the scalp's microbial populations. The authors propose that metagenomics, the genomic analysis of microbial DNA from environmental samples, could provide insights into the role of the microbiome in hair health and disease, despite the challenges in implementing these technologies. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for multi-dimensional approaches to further investigate the effects of microorganisms and metabolism on host tissue.