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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

A New Technique for Quantitative Analysis of Hair Loss in Mice Using Grayscale Analysis
Published on: March 9, 2015
Graying of the human hair follicle
Eva M J Peters1, Dominik Imfeld, Remo Gräub
1University-Medicine Charité, CharitéCenter 12 (CC12) for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Psychoneuroimmunology, Charité Platz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Quality of life in our society depends crucially on healthy aging, a hallmark of which is the graying hair follicle. During anagen melanocyte precursors migrate to the hair bulb to form the pigmentary unit where they mature and synthesize melanin. Melanin is transferred to the hair shaft forming keratinocytes giving the hair its colour. Graying is the process in which distinct mechanisms lead to deterioration of the hair follicle melanocyte population. We briefly review the hair graying process and state that the aging hair follicle is a valid model for tissue specific aging and a promising target to test therapeutic intervention.
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