The Mineralization of Hair Follicle Tissue
December 1971
in “
Calcified Tissue Research
”
TLDR Hair follicles in injured skin can quickly accumulate minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus.
The study from 1971 investigated the mineralization of hair follicle tissue in hypercalcemic rats. It was found that hair follicles were particularly prone to mineralization following skin injury. Chemical and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed that mineral deposits, indicated by increased calcium and phosphorus, began forming in hair follicle tissue 6-12 hours after a mild crush injury in rats treated with dihydrotachysterol (DHT), and 24-48 hours in non-treated rats. X-ray diffraction showed a diffuse apatite pattern. An increase in calcium content was observed within 3 hours of injury, likely due to calcium binding rather than mineral deposition, and was not related to DHT dosing.
