Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles
1
Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, 4822 Warsaw, Poland
2
Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 4861 Poznan, Poland
3
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Warsaw, 4822 Warsaw, Poland
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(15), 5342; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342
Received: 16 July 2020 / Accepted: 24 July 2020 / Published: 28 July 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Hair Morphology)
The hair cycle and hair follicle structure are highly affected by various hormones. Androgens—such as testosterone (T); dihydrotestosterone (DHT); and their prohormones, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstendione (A)—are the key factors in terminal hair growth. They act on sex-specific areas of the body, converting small, straight, fair vellus hairs into larger darker terminal hairs. They bind to intracellular androgen receptors in the dermal papilla cells of the hair follicle. The majority of hair follicles also require the intracellular enzyme 5-alpha reductase to convert testosterone into DHT. Apart from androgens, the role of other hormones is also currently being researched—e.g., estradiol can significantly alter the hair follicle growth and cycle by binding to estrogen receptors and influencing aromatase activity, which is responsible for converting androgen into estrogen (E2). Progesterone, at the level of the hair follicle, decreases the conversion of testosterone into DHT. The influence of prolactin (PRL) on hair growth has also been intensively investigated, and PRL and PRL receptors were detected in human scalp skin. Our review includes results from many analyses and provides a comprehensive up-to-date understanding of the subject of the effects of hormonal changes on the hair follicle.
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Keywords:
hormones; hair follicle; hair growth
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MDPI and ACS Style
Grymowicz, M.; Rudnicka, E.; Podfigurna, A.; Napierala, P.; Smolarczyk, R.; Smolarczyk, K.; Meczekalski, B. Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 5342. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342
AMA Style
Grymowicz M, Rudnicka E, Podfigurna A, Napierala P, Smolarczyk R, Smolarczyk K, Meczekalski B. Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21(15):5342. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342
Chicago/Turabian StyleGrymowicz, Monika; Rudnicka, Ewa; Podfigurna, Agnieszka; Napierala, Paulina; Smolarczyk, Roman; Smolarczyk, Katarzyna; Meczekalski, Blazej. 2020. "Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles" Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21, no. 15: 5342. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342
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