# Hair Transplants > IAHRS Info Center Discussion >  Do hair follicles die?

## Tracy C

I was listening to The Bald Truth today and heard a comment that hair follicles do not die.  I had read long ago that hair follicles miniaturize until they become dormant.  Then after they are dormant for an undetermined number of years, they die.  So I was surprised to hear that comment.  Could one of the doctors chime in and confirm whether hair follicles actually die or not?

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## KeepHoping

I think there is a lot of controversy surrounding the question of whether or not hair follicles eventually die, to be honest, I think it may depend on the type of alopecia as well.  I think for most people they do not die but rather lie dormant under the skin, also you'd be surprised on how many hairs the human eye may not be able to see but under microscope many people who appear very bald may have as many hairs on their head as a person with a full head of hair but because the diameter or the hairs decrease when hair thins it appears as though they have less hair on their head.  That is why I feel like Histogen could potentially be a "silver bullet" as many people would say because if it has the ability to not only awaken some follicles but re-thicken follicles with one small injection, I feel like a larger dose or more injections (hopefully) should work for a compoundable result, keep your fingers crossed.

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## RichardDawkins

I also have to agree, its high likely that its based on the form of alopecia, for example scarring alopecia vs normal alopecia.

But another thing which can kill follicles, are hair transplants

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## Tracy C

I am a little disappointed that none of the doctors chimed in to answer this one.  Even if the answer is "we don't know", that would have been better than no answer at all.   :Frown:

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## Pate

I can't find the source now but I read that eventually the follicles do die because they become 're-absorbed' by body tissue regrowing through them.

But it seems this isn't for several years after they stop producing hair above the skin surface because they are still cycling beneath the skin. So just because a follicle isn't producing hair doesn't mean it's yet dead. It's only after they wind down and stop cycling completely that the body re-absorbs them.

I'd like to find a proper source for this claim but I haven't been able to find it because I don't think I'm using the right word in 're-absorbed.'

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## ejj

> I also have to agree, its high likely that its based on the form of alopecia, for example scarring alopecia vs normal alopecia.
> 
> But another thing which can kill follicles, are hair transplants


 Very Good point Richard , after nine strips probably had more killed than grown ... 

ejj

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## Follicle Death Row

That's why I'd hold off on FUE until I see what Replicel or HST brings. I think if you transplant you'll never be able to bring back the old native follicles in the transplanted recipient. That's just a guess and what my intuition is telling me. I hope I'm wrong for those that have had HT.

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## RichardDawkins

Just look at the user Chanceinamillion or how his name is, he has a slick bald top and hair is slowly coming back which is a clear indicator that hair loss is reversable

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## FlightTL

> I was listening to The Bald Truth today and heard a comment that hair follicles do not die.  I had read long ago that hair follicles miniaturize until they become dormant.  Then after they are dormant for an undetermined number of years, they die.  So I was surprised to hear that comment.  Could one of the doctors chime in and confirm whether hair follicles actually die or not?


 Great observation Tracy! 
I do not know the answer to this question.

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## sp8rky

You dont actually expect a Dr to say "we dont know" do you? They dont do that.

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## 2020

why are you bumping an old topic? Where did you hear that?

this study is pretty much all we have:
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/44478#SEC3




> Our finding that AGA, in the clinical category of nonscarring alopecia, demonstrated preservation of hair follicle stem cells suggests potential reversibility of this condition.

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## UK_

God - I had to blow the dust off my laptop this thread is so old.

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## dex89

> God - I had to blow the dust off my laptop this thread is so old.


 BWHAHAHA trollllbwhoalaha...good on.

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## Tracy C

> You dont actually expect a Dr to say "we dont know" do you? They dont do that.


 Sure they do.  Well and ethical doctor will if they actually don't know the answer to a question.

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## sp8rky

> Sure they do.  Well and ethical doctor will if they actually don't know the answer to a question.


 
I would be interested in reading that, can you link to this?

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## sp8rky

> All good hair follicles go to Heaven.


 
lol, 


That's all i wanted to say, but for some reason my post has to contain 10 letters or more, should be enough now.

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## Tracy C

> ...can you link to this?


 What is up with this?  Everyone want's a link to everything.  As if nothing in the world really happens unless there is a link about it.  Doesn't anybody spend any time in the real world anymore?

Get out into the sunshine.  It will do you a world of good.

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## sp8rky

So, you can't then?

With 2,235 posts, I think it's you who needs to get out in the sunshine, go on, treat yourself!

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## gavinmulls02

She's been a member since Sep 2011. That's only roughly 5 posts per day leading up to Sep 2012. I doubt she spends that much time here.

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## baldozer

> I was listening to The Bald Truth today and heard a comment that hair follicles do not die.  I had read long ago that hair follicles miniaturize until they become dormant.  Then after they are dormant for an undetermined number of years, they die.  So I was surprised to hear that comment.  Could one of the doctors chime in and confirm whether hair follicles actually die or not?


 Read this article Tracy, where they say a 73 year old bald man regrew all his hair after being on spiro (for problems other than hair-loss) for 6 years!

http://www.hairloss-research.org/Upd...erDie8-12.html

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## Tracy C

Thank you but one article is hardly enough evidence.

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## baldozer

> Thank you but one article is hardly enough evidence.


 Another recent article vindicates that too.

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/44478

However, the hair transplant community would like you to think otherwise, that is, believe that hair follicles die, so that they can keep making huge amounts of money from a surgery as simple as hair transplant. God, I hate capitalism!

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## LMS

> Another recent article vindicates that too.
> 
> http://www.jci.org/articles/view/44478
> 
> However, the hair transplant community would like you to think otherwise, that is, believe that hair follicles die, so that they can keep making huge amounts of money from a surgery as simple as hair transplant. God, I hate capitalism!


 Its thanks to capitalism that we have treatments available in the first place.  And its thanks to capitalism that superior treatments in the future will be available.

And no OP, follicles don't die apparently - according http://www.biologixhair.com/.

And  it can be reaffirmed if you find some study done in a university in the states but I can't be bothered finding it.

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## gmonasco

> However, the hair transplant community would like you to think otherwise, that is, believe that hair follicles die, so that they can keep making huge amounts of money from a surgery as simple as hair transplant.


 I doubt the question of whether hair follicles truly "die" has much of an impact on the economics of the hair transplant industry -- since there's no known way to revive non-producing hair follicles, it's a moot point.  

Yeah, maybe some younger guys might hold off on getting hair transplants in the (so far unrealized) hopes that hair follicles don't actually die and that science might find some way to revive them within the next several years, but I don't get the impression that a significant chunk of potential HT patients are banking on it.




> God, I hate capitalism!


 Without a profit motive, where do you think the resources to figure out how to revive non-producing hair follicles will come from?

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## DepressedByHairLoss

> I doubt the question of whether hair follicles truly "die" has much of an impact on the economics of the hair transplant industry -- since there's no known way to revive non-producing hair follicles, it's a moot point.  
> 
> Yeah, maybe some younger guys might hold off on getting hair transplants in the (so far unrealized) hopes that hair follicles don't actually die and that science might find some way to revive them within the next several years, but I don't get the impression that a significant chunk of potential HT patients are banking on it.
> 
> 
> 
> Without a profit motive, where do you think the resources to figure out how to revive non-producing hair follicles will come from?


 The question of whether of a follicle truly dies would absolutely have an effect on the hair transplant industry.  If hair loss sufferers were convinced that there was no chance of reviving a "dead" follicle, they would be less inclined to wait for better treatments that claim to revive follicles, and would thereby be more likely to opt for today's hair transplantation options.  Hell, there are people that come on this forum all the time, asking if they should wait for future treatments or simply pull the trigger and get a hair transplant.  

I don't think Baldozer was meant that he fully hated capitalism, just that he hates certain aspects of capitalism.  BTW, Baldozer, you've brought up some very good points in your posts.

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