2023-11-04 20:07:45
New Research Shows Hair Follicles Play a Role in Sensing Touch, Opens Doors for Treating Skin Conditions
London, UK – Scientists from Imperial College London have made a groundbreaking discovery that hair follicles not only produce hair but also play a role in sensing touch. This new finding challenges the long-held belief that only surrounding nerves transmit touch to the brain.
Hair follicles are small structures in the skin responsible for hair growth, found all over the body except for certain areas such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, lips, and eyelids. Traditionally, hair follicles were thought to solely function in hair growth. However, recent research conducted by British scientists unveils a new role for these structures – sensing physical stimuli.
The researchers observed hair follicle cells’ responses to various forms of touch, such as bending the hair fiber or brushing the skin. They discovered that hair follicle cells not only respond to calcium signals, indicating increased activity in the cell, but also to neurotransmitters like serotonin and histamine. These substances can activate neighboring nerves, which then transmit signals to the brain. This suggests that hair follicles themselves possess the ability to sense when the hair fiber is bent or brushed.
Lead author Claire Higgins highlights the intriguing nature of this phenomenon, stating, “We don’t yet know why the hair follicles react differently and also release serotonin, but it is certainly intriguing.” The researchers are faced with numerous new questions that have arisen from this research.
The implications of this discovery extend beyond better understanding our sensory experiences. It may have significant implications for the treatment of skin conditions, such as eczema, where histamine plays a major role in causing inflammation and itching. Normally, immune cells in the skin produce histamine, but this study shows that hair follicles can also generate this substance. This suggests that hair follicles may contribute to the development or worsening of eczema. The researchers aim to conduct further research into the hair follicles to explore possible treatments or prevention methods for various skin conditions. One potential avenue includes manipulating the production of serotonin and histamine in hair follicle cells to alleviate eczema symptoms.
Furthermore, the scientists are keen to investigate any differences in the hair follicles and their functions in various types of hair, such as scalp hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes. By studying these differences, they hope to gain a deeper understanding of how we perceive the world around us and how we respond to different types of touch.
This groundbreaking research adds a new dimension to our understanding of hair follicles, expanding their role beyond hair growth. It paves the way for innovative approaches to treating skin conditions and sheds light on the intricate mechanisms behind our sense of touch.]
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