Modeling the dynamics of human hair cycles by a follicular automaton

The study observed hair follicle cycles over 14 years in 10 male volunteers, both alopecic and nonalopecic, to develop a follicular automaton model simulating human hair cycle dynamics. This model used stochastic rules to simulate transitions between hair growth phases (anagen, catagen, telogen, and latency) for individual follicles, capturing both single follicle dynamics and collective follicle behavior. It successfully reproduced the distribution of follicles in different phases and was applied to study spatial patterns of hair growth, accounting for variations in anagen phase duration. The model also simulated hair pattern evolution, including types of alopecia, by considering follicle death or miniaturization after multiple cycles.