The serum promotes hair growth by mimicking the effects of skin irritation

The skin irritation promotes hair growth in mice by stimulating their fat cells, and the serum could produce the same effects in humans, without having to cause discomfort.

Hair loss can sometimes be treated with medications or steroid injections, but more effective treatments are being developed, such as using stem cells or medications that awaken dormant hair follicles.

Song Jan Lin At National Taiwan University, he and his colleagues became fascinated by the role of adipose tissue in hair growth several years ago during an experiment on mice. “We unexpectedly discovered that after skin irritation, the size of adipocytes in the skin changes [fat cells] “It shrinks quickly before the hair begins to grow again,” Lin says. “We speculated that adipocytes might release fatty acids via a process called lipolysis to fuel hair regrowth.”

To understand the process better, they repeated the experiment and took a closer look at the cells involved. First, they induced eczema in shaved mice by applying an irritant compound to parts of their backs. Within 10 days, the team noticed that the mice’s hair follicles were in an active growth phase, and these areas had visible hair growth. This did not occur in areas without eczema or in other mice that were shaved but did not develop the skin condition.

The researchers note that this appears to be caused by immune cells called macrophages migrating to the fat layer beneath the mice’s skin, signaling the fat cells to release fatty acids that have been absorbed by the hair follicle stem cells. This makes the cells produce more mitochondria, which provide them with energy, which leads to hair growth. This is in line with previous research that found that pulling hair sends an immune signal to nearby hair follicles, prompting them to grow larger.

Eczema is not usually associated with hair growth in people, but other forms of skin irritation have been discovered, such as placing a plaster cast on a broken limb. Associated with excessive hair growth.

Next, Lin and his team wanted to know if the presence of fatty acids alone, without prior irritation, stimulated hair growth, so they created serums composed of different fatty acids dissolved in alcohol. They were applied to areas of the skin of shaved mice that had no irritation, which were later compared to other areas where the serum was not applied and to other shaved mice. “We found that monounsaturated fatty acids rich in adipose tissue, such as oleic acids and palmitoleic acids, are the only ones effective in promoting hair regeneration when applied topically to the skin,” Lin says.

He says the researchers, who have patented the serum, have also seen promising results when applied to human hair follicles in the laboratory and now plan to test different doses of the serum on people’s scalps.

Lin does not expect the treatment to have any serious side effects. “Oleic acids and palmitoleic acids are naturally derived fatty acids. They are rich not only in our adipose tissue, but also in many vegetable oils, so they can be used safely,” he says. “I personally applied these alcohol-soluble fatty acids to my thighs for three weeks and found that they promoted hair regrowth.”

“The key thing is that it has not yet been validated in human skin, and animal models can be very different, especially when it comes to follicle biology,” he says. Christos Tziotzios At King’s College London. A similar serum, based on plant extracts, is also being developed, which will boost hair growth in people within weeks.

However, Tziotzios says the latest study adds to our understanding of hair loss and hair growth. “We knew that adipocytes played a role in hair follicle formation, but this is the first time I’ve seen them used for regeneration,” he says. It may also explain why some people experience it Hair growth after micro-needlingWhich involves passing tiny needles over the scalp, creating tiny holes that trigger an immune response, he says.