First you need to know a little something about dermal papillae cells: stem cells found in the base of hair follicles that tell the skin to make a new hair follicle. Researchers have had their eye on these cells for some time, but it’s been difficult to successfully use them in the lab. Until now. For this study, researchers cloned these stem cells, and transplanted them onto hairless skin that was grafted onto mice. The results: Five out of seven transplants produced new human hair that matched the DNA of the original human donors. The study was published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. “One hair follicle could theoretically induce the growth of several more,” says study author Clair Higgins, Ph.D., associate research scientist at Columbia University. In case you’re not jumping up and down already, this is exciting stuff. “This is a huge feat,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. “The ability to regrow new hair follicles will revolutionize the way that we treat hair loss.” More studies need to be done before you can sign up for a treatment, but in the meantime, prevent hair loss before it starts by breaking these 11 Bad Habits That Make Your Hair Thinner.
