Hair is a mammalian characteristic which, in
human beings, plays important roles in protection
and social communication. This means that
even common hair follicle disorders often cause
marked psychological distress. Unfortunately,
treatments have been hampered by the poor
understanding of the complex system that is the
hair follicle. Recently, the hair follicle has been
the focus of much research and our knowledge
of the basic biology of the follicle has been
expanded dramatically with the advent of new
cellular and molecular biological techniques. The
location of stem cells in the bulge area, the identification
of particular molecules involved in
follicular development and hair cycling, and
greater understanding of the mechanisms of
androgen action in the hair follicle are just a few
of the im portant developments. As a result of
this research new and better therapeutic regimes
have been introduced, particularly for androgendependent
conditions.
This book contains sections on both the basic
biology of the hair follicle and the various clinical
conditions which occur. The up-to-date chapters
have been contributed by basic scientists and
clinicians who are internationally renowned for
their exciting research on the normal and abnormal
functioning of the hair follicle in health and
disease. It contains the latest findings on the
regulatory molecules involved including androgens
and growth factors and the various model
systems that have been established to investigate
the follicle. The clinical sections cover hair
disorders involving hair loss (androgenetic
alopecia, alopecia areata), those associated with
systemic disease, hair shaft abnormalities and
disorders involving excessive hair growth
(hypertrichosis and hirsutism). The current
understanding of the aetiology, pathogenesis
and form s of management of these disorders are
discussed, including newly introduced therapy.
This book has been designed to be useful to
everyone interested in the hair follicle from the
basic scientist starting their research career
investigating the exciting cell biological system
of the hair follicle to an experienced clinician
needing to be updated on the recent developments
in understanding and therapy. Hopefully,
it should not only update people in their fields
and provide a long term reference book, but
also encourage basic scientists to check details
of specific disorders to confirm their ideas, and
clinicians to tailor their patient management with
greater knowledge of hair follicle biology.
We should like to thank all of the contributors
who gave their time and thoughts to prepare the
chapters. We should like to thank our families,
friends and colleagues for their forbearance and
support during the preparation of this book. In
particular, Richard, Emily, Rosemary and Rosa
Garrudo.