Characterisation of human hair follicle development
Zoe R. Sudderick, James D. Glover, Cameron Batho‐Samblas, Barbara Bo‐Ju Shih, Denis J. Headon · 2026
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Description
Zoe Sudderick and co-authors chart how human hair follicles form before birth, week by week. Humans wear long, thick terminal hair on the scalp and brows, while fine, nearly invisible vellus hair covers most of the body, a pattern set during development. Their 2026 study quantifies follicle growth in embryos from weeks eight to nineteen and compares it with the mouse.
Follicles appear first on the head, at several distinct starting sites, then on the torso. New follicles bud off near earlier ones, forming clusters, and the tiny muscles that raise hairs arrive by week seventeen. Terminal and vellus follicles start from near-identical buds and mature at the same pace everywhere; what differs is density. The authors conclude that what makes scalp unlike forehead is decided after the first steps, so the evolution of human hairlessness should be sought in later events.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Zoe R. Sudderick, James D. Glover, Cameron Batho‐Samblas, Barbara Bo‐Ju Shih, Denis J. Headon |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 73 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |