Micro-injury Induces Hair Regeneration and Vitiligo Repigmentation Through Wnt/β-catenin Pathway

waynakyo

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Too important to have it under published studies




Extrinsic injury can evoke intrinsic stimulation and subsequently initiate the physiological repair process. This study aims to investigate whether clinically acceptable micro-injury could be employed to create local stimuli to induce hair regeneration and vitiligo repigmentation. A novel device was designed and manufactured to precisely control the micro-injury parameters. Then the most appropriate extent of micro-injury without over-damaging the skin was evaluated. Finally, the effects of micro-injury on hair regeneration and vitiligo repigmentation were examined by macroscopical observation, histological staining, gene and protein expression analysis. We discover that proper micro-injury effectively induces hair regeneration by activating the hair follicle stem cell proliferation and migration downwards to the hair matrix, finally shifting the hair follicle stage from telogen into anagen. On vitiligo model mice, micro-injury also induces the hair follicle melanocyte stem cells to migrate upwards to the interfollicular epidermis, activating and giving rise to melanocytes to repopulate the vitiligo lesion. Mechanistic analysis indicates that the canonical Wnt/-catenin pathway plays a key role in the micro-injury-induced repair process. The present study demonstrates that micro-injury has great potential in inducing hair regeneration and vitiligo repigmentation, laid a foundation to develop a micro-injury-based treatment method in alopecia and vitiligo.
 

pegasus2

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I wonder if it can also repopulate melanocytes in hair follicles. I have tried microneedling on the side of my scalp a couple times for hair pigmentation, but I don't know if it made any difference.
 

the smoking baby

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Customer-made micro-injury instrument​

To standardize the micro-injury, we designed and made a fine instrument to control the depth, density and temperuture of the injury (Fig. S1A). The density was achieved by a disposable multi-needle head (Fig. S1B), in the present study we set at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 needles/cm2, which create the corresponding micro-injuries/cm2. The depth was controlled by a fastener on the head, in the present study was set at 2 mm, which approximately reach dermis. The temperuture is controlled by an electromagnetic heating unit to make the needles at 500℃ for easily acupucturing into skin. All parameters were set by the instrument instead of controlling by manual operation.
 

Ralph Wiggum

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Screenshot 2022-01-23 202802.png
 

the smoking baby

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I know it's a study with mice but an interesting set of parameters for microneedling. Most optimal result at 30 micro-wounds per cm2 at 2 mm depth, 2 x per week for 3 weeks, needles heated to 500 degrees C.

Human skin is thicker than mouse skin so depth to reach dermis would be greater, I think.
 

coolio

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I wonder if it can also repopulate melanocytes in hair follicles. I have tried microneedling on the side of my scalp a couple times for hair pigmentation, but I don't know if it made any difference.

I don't know of any research on the matter. IMO the idea deserves at least a small study or two. Plenty of dumber things have been studied.
 

baldlygoing

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Seems like a similar mechanism to the Morpheus8 used in skincare, needling combined with RF. 500 degrees Celsius though, damn...
 

Ralph Wiggum

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"make the needles at 500℃ for easily acupucturing into skin" sounds like they're saying the needles are super hot so that they can be inserted easily. That's nuts. (Or maybe it's a typo?)
 

pegasus2

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Maybe they mean 50c
 
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