November 2025 in “Nature Communications” This study used a 3D live imaging system to map cell dynamics in human hair follicles, revealing patterns of cell movement and division that help explain hair fiber extrusion during hair growth.
October 2025 in “Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” This study synthesizes knowledge of how dendritic cell signals, epithelial integrins, and fibroblast activity converge on TGF-β1 to maintain or disrupt skin healing, contrasting normal and fibrotic scar formation and suggesting possible integrin and immune-targeted treatments for skin fibrosis.
January 2024 in “Journal of cellular immunology” This review explores the complex interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that regulate hair follicle stem cells and their role in skin homeostasis, aiming to advance understanding that could support future research on skin disorders.
171 citations
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July 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The researchers reported that DHT-inducible DKK-1 may play a significant role in DHT-driven balding by inhibiting hair follicle cell growth and promoting apoptosis in androgenetic alopecia.
165 citations
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September 2001 in “Genes & development” This study found that Cutl1 mutant mice experienced retarded lung differentiation and abnormal hair follicle morphogenesis, indicating the vital role of CDP in lung development and hair follicle cell-lineage specification.
146 citations
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May 2002 in “The American journal of pathology” This study found that cathepsin L deficiency in mice led to significant abnormalities in hair follicle development and cycling, including disrupted hair shaft outgrowth and premature hair growth phase entry.
139 citations
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December 1998 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study identified a new type II cytokeratin, named K6hf, exclusively expressed in the companion layer of the human hair follicle, distinguishing it from other keratins and suggesting a unique biochemical role.
137 citations
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July 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study observed that triple horizontal scalp biopsies provided a more accurate diagnosis of female pattern hair loss in women than a single horizontal biopsy, especially for those with advanced hair loss.
105 citations
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May 2011 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study found that activation of the TRPV3 ion channel inhibits human hair growth by affecting hair follicles and outer root sheath keratinocytes.
100 citations
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September 1999 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study suggests that finasteride's effect on promoting hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia may be due to its inhibition of 5aR2 localized in hair follicles.
93 citations
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July 2006 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study describes the expression patterns of type I inner root sheath keratin proteins K25–K28 in human hair follicles, highlighting their distinct distribution within different layers.
88 citations
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July 2019 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” In this study of patients with Androgenic Alopecia, micro-grafts containing HD-AFSCs resulted in significantly improved hair density and follicle count over 11 months compared to a saline solution, suggesting a potential alternative therapy for hair regrowth.
87 citations
,
April 2018 in “Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications” In this study, dermal papilla cell-derived exosomes accelerated hair follicle growth in mice, suggesting potential for treating hair loss by modulating key signaling pathways.
86 citations
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May 2002 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study characterized a new human keratin, hK6irs1, specifically found in the inner root sheath of hair follicles, which suggests its role in the structural integrity and guidance of growing hair shafts.
85 citations
,
February 1989 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This case report describes a newly identified condition called loose anagen hair of childhood, characterized by easily pluckable hair in two young boys, with variable duration and no scalp inflammation or scarring.
71 citations
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October 2008 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study presents a novel in vitro assay using human folliculoid microspheres to research hair growth, which may facilitate preclinical testing of hair growth-modulatory agents.
70 citations
,
December 2004 in “Differentiation” This study identifies six novel keratin genes from the chromosome 17q21.2 region, suggesting their association with hair follicles, while all 27 keratin genes in the domain have been characterized transcriptionally.
70 citations
,
November 1984 in “Cell & tissue research/Cell and tissue research” Vitamin D3 affects cell differentiation in specific skin areas.
67 citations
,
August 2013 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This review discusses the role of oxidative stress in hair greying and suggests that understanding melanocyte susceptibility at different follicular locations may help develop therapies for preventing and reversing the process; it reports no new experimental results.
67 citations
,
December 2008 in “Developmental Biology” This study found that the transcription factors Msx2 and Foxn1 are crucial for maintaining Notch1 expression in the hair follicle matrix, which is necessary for proper hair differentiation.
63 citations
,
November 1999 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” This study observes the expression of mRNA for androgen receptor, 5α‐reductase, and 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in human dermal papilla cells.
62 citations
,
January 2000 in “Developmental dynamics” This study found that Notch-related genes, including Notch1 and Notch2, and their ligands and regulators, have distinct patterns of expression during mouse hair vibrissa follicle development and the adult hair cycle.
58 citations
,
March 2019 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study suggests that exosomes derived from dermal papilla cells, especially those cultured in three dimensions, promote hair growth and regeneration by enhancing follicular cell activity.
58 citations
,
March 1985 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This review discusses the historical, legal, and clinical aspects of electrolysis and thermolysis, highlighting potential risks due to the lack of standardized training for electrologists in the United States, but reports no new clinical results.
57 citations
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April 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study found that the vitamin D receptor is crucial for initiating the postnatal hair follicular cycle in mice, preventing alopecia associated with its inactivation.
52 citations
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May 2015 in “Cytotherapy” This study found that human mesenchymal stromal cells derived from hair follicle dermal sheath showed promising growth and wound-healing properties in vitro and in diabetic mice, suggesting potential for therapeutic use.
48 citations
,
June 2013 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” This study found that valproic acid promoted human hair growth by increasing β-catenin levels, suggesting it may be a potential therapeutic option for alopecia.
46 citations
,
January 1996 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study identified the presence of apoptotic or necrotic keratinocytes and hair shaft dystrophy as potential markers of hair loss in patients with HIV-1 infection.
45 citations
,
March 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study identified a new cytokeratin, mK6irs, specifically expressed in the inner root sheath of mouse hair follicles, distinguishing it as a member of the type II cytokeratin family.
44 citations
,
December 1991 in “Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences” This study observed that epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor have distinct roles in sheep skin, with EGF involved in differentiation and FGF in bulb proliferation and fiber growth.