Studying Hair Growth Cycle and its Effects on Mouse Skin
August 2023
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
TLDR Understanding the hair growth cycle in mice is crucial for accurate research, as it affects study results and requires careful timing and methods.
The study explores the complexity of the hair growth cycle in mice, which varies even among littermates, and provides guidelines for designing reliable murine studies on hair growth. It emphasizes the importance of considering hair cycle phases when interpreting results, recommending periodic photography of shaved mice and correct timing of drug applications. The research highlights that noninvasive hair cycle studies require about 6 months and that skin injuries can prematurely trigger hair growth, necessitating a larger initial sample size. It also discusses techniques like quantitative hair plucking and depilation for inducing anagen and studying hair growth dynamics, and notes the impact of hair cycle stages on non-hair-related dermatological studies.
