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Recently, the whole country is cooling down, the weather is getting colder, so cold that the little friends are cold hands and feet. And I am different, except for the cold hands and feet, the top of the head is also cold. I often look at my hairline, touch the top of my head, and take a deep sigh. How cold the top of the head is, how cool the heart is.
The cold wind of winter could not blow my hair, and could only blow goosebumps. Sometimes, I feel like I've been a machine gun in my previous life, and I've been bald and bald, and I can't stop. My hair, on the pillow, on the floor, on the washbasin of the toilet, was not on top of my head.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I touched my thinning hair again, and I got goosebumps again.
alas! Bald youth is really hard!
I silently picked up my phone and searched for hair growth remedies. Suddenly see a push, fixed eyes on it, scientific research found that goosebumps and hair growth are related.
01
What's the goosebumps on your body?
Before you talk about the research, first understand what goosebumps are.
On human skin, there is a muscle called the "vertical hair muscle", which is controlled by the sympathetic nerve and connects the various hair follicles. When you feel cold, frightened, or otherwise stimulated, the trespin muscles contract and the hairs stand up to form small bumps. In medicine, it is called the "vertical hair reflex".
Most hairy mammals get "goosebumps." On the one hand, to ward off the cold. On the other hand, in order to deter the opponent. [1] In everyday life, cats explode when threatened or provoked.
Back to the point, let's see the mysterious connection between goosebumps and hair growth.
02
Never expected,
Goosebumps may help with hair growth
In July 2020, a team of researchers at Harvard University in the United States published the results of a study in the journal CELL (CELL) that cold not only makes people feel goosebumps, but also promotes hair growth.
Researchers have found that the appearance of goosebumps requires a synergistic effect of follicle stem cells, erect hair muscles, and sympathetic nerves, and hair growth is a similar mechanism. Sympathetic secretion of norepinephrine regulates hair follicle stem cell activity, while the erect hair muscle maintains the interaction of sympathetic and hair follicle stem cells.
Cold increases sympathetic activity, which can trigger goosebumps. The researchers then hypothesized that cold may increase sympathetic activity, activate hair follicle stem cells, and promote hair growth.
◎ Blue is hair follicle stem cells, pink is vertical hair muscle, and green is sympathetic. / https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.031
The researchers conducted further experiments comparing mice with the telogen phase at cold and normal temperatures and found that mice exposed to cold had enhanced sympathetic nerves and higher norepinephrine levels. Mice exposed to cold environments entered the hair growth phase early and grew new hairs in less than two weeks.
◎ Mice in the cold group entered the hair generation period in advance, and the hair coverage rate was significantly improved. / https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.031
The final results showed that in the low temperature state for a long time, the sympathetic nervous system activity is higher, which can accelerate the activation of hair follicle stem cells and promote the growth of new hair. [2]
In short, being in a cold environment for a long time helps promote hair growth. Perhaps, it can provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of baldness in the future.
After watching the push, the bald youth who is cool on the top of the daily head is warm in his heart.
Dear bald friends, remember to keep warm in winter.
Resources:
[1] I'm a scientist iScientist. I got goosebumps when I heard this song, what's going on? [EB/OL]. [2017-10-26].
[2] Shwartz Y , Gonzalez-Celeiro M , Chen C L , et al. Cell Types Promoting Goosebumps Form a Niche to Regulate Hair Follicle Stem Cells[J]. Cell, 2020, 182(3).