Preparing the Hair Follicle Canal for Hair Shaft Emergence

December 2020 in “ Experimental dermatology ”

Arlee L. Mesler, Rachel E. Benedeck, Sunny Y. Wong

hair follicle hair shaft keratinocytes Keratin 79 K79 E-cadherin sebaceous glands ingrown hairs acne hidradenitis suppurativa infundibular cysts skin cells oil glands

TLDR A specific type of skin cell creates an opening for hair to grow out, and problems with this process can lead to skin conditions.

During mammalian skin development, the process by which the hair follicle canal opens to allow hair shaft emergence was studied. It was found that keratinocytes expressing Keratin 79 (K79) in early hair buds mark the future opening of the hair follicle. As development progresses, these K79+ cells at the tips of the follicles downregulate E-cadherin, change shape, recede, and undergo cell death, creating an orifice for the hair to emerge. This process appears to be independent of sebaceous glands and hair shaft growth. Disruptions in this process could lead to conditions such as ingrown hairs or contribute to disorders like acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, and infundibular cysts.

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