The average person has around 100,000 hair follicles on their body.

Did you know that these follicles can act as diverse cell sources for regenerative medicine? The hair follicle contains cells that can help to rejuvenate our skin, repair tissue and help to regrow hair (how cool is that?!).

The anatomy of a hair follicle

The hair follicle begins at the surface of our skin. In the case of the hair found on our head, this extends deep into the dermis, sometimes as far as our deepest skin layer. (1) Simply put, it’s a tube-like structure surrounding your hair’s root and strand.

The hair follicles on our head have three important layers: the infundibulum, the isthmus, and the lower follicle, including the bulb. (1) It is made up of layers of cells held in layers of skin. Within the bulge of the hair follicle is where we can find adult stem cells. (2)

When looking at the hair, we can utilize several different components for regenerative technology for our health. This includes:

• Exosomes and growth factors, which can aid in healing and regeneration

• Primary cells that are key building blocks for our skin and hair

• Stem cells unlock the potential to create any cells in the body

Using your hair follicles for your future health

Your hair may just be the gateway to your future health. This is because the hair follicle contains mesenchymal stem cells – cells most frequently used in regenerative medicine. Utilizing these cells, there is potential for regenerative treatments in aesthetic areas like hair and skin health, fitness and sport, and even in health and longevity.

That is why we have partnered with Acorn Biolabs to provide patients the in-house technology to preserve cells for future use.

Can’t I use my hair follicles when I need them?

The hair follicle is a skin appendage that is extremely influenced by aging. (3) By preserving our cells from our hair follicles today, you are getting your youngest cells to use on an older you. This means that in regenerative treatments, you will have younger results that better fight signs of aging, injury and disease as we get older.

What to expect in your hair follicle retrieval

You will come to our clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia where our trained lab technicians will remove 50 hair follicles. The process takes anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. Following the retrieval, the cells are transported to Acorn Biolabs for review and storage at Toronto General Hospital.

Want to learn more? Contact our reception team to get started

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470321/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28725654

3. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.799268/full