Beauty biology map
Hair follicle cycling
Hair follicles cycle through anagen (growth), catagen (regression) and telogen (rest). Wnt/beta-catenin signalling and dermal papilla growth factors sustain anagen, while androgen signalling through the androgen receptor and 5-alpha reductase drives follicular miniaturisation in pattern hair loss.
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- Hair follicle cycling associated with AR — high confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with SRD5A2 — high confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with CTNNB1 — high confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with FGF7 — medium confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with VEGFA — medium confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with SULT1A1 — medium confidence
- Hair follicle cycling associated with KRT85 — medium confidence
- AR participates in Signalling by WNT — high confidence
- SRD5A2 participates in Signalling by WNT — high confidence
- CTNNB1 participates in Signalling by WNT — high confidence
- FGF7 participates in Signalling by WNT — medium confidence
- VEGFA participates in Signalling by WNT — medium confidence
- SULT1A1 participates in Signalling by WNT — medium confidence
- KRT85 participates in Signalling by WNT — medium confidence
- AR participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- SRD5A2 participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- CTNNB1 participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- FGF7 participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- VEGFA participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- SULT1A1 participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- KRT85 participates in Signalling by FGFR — medium confidence
- AR participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — high confidence
- SRD5A2 participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — high confidence
- CTNNB1 participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — high confidence
- FGF7 participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — medium confidence
- VEGFA participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — medium confidence
- SULT1A1 participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — medium confidence
- KRT85 participates in Nuclear receptor transcription pathway — medium confidence
- AR participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- SRD5A2 participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- CTNNB1 participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- FGF7 participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- VEGFA participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- SULT1A1 participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- KRT85 participates in Potassium channels — medium confidence
- Signalling by WNT associated with Hair follicle cycling — high confidence
- Signalling by FGFR associated with Hair follicle cycling — medium confidence
- Nuclear receptor transcription pathway associated with Hair follicle cycling — high confidence
- Potassium channels associated with Hair follicle cycling — medium confidence
- Signalling by WNT associated with Dermal papilla signalling — high confidence
- Signalling by FGFR associated with Dermal papilla signalling — medium confidence
- Nuclear receptor transcription pathway associated with Dermal papilla signalling — high confidence
- Potassium channels associated with Dermal papilla signalling — medium confidence
- Signalling by WNT associated with Keratin synthesis — medium confidence
- Signalling by FGFR associated with Keratin synthesis — medium confidence
- Nuclear receptor transcription pathway associated with Keratin synthesis — medium confidence
- Potassium channels associated with Keratin synthesis — medium confidence
Genes & proteins
- ARhigh confidence
Androgen receptor
- SRD5A2high confidence
Steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2
- CTNNB1high confidence
Catenin beta 1
- FGF7medium confidence
Fibroblast growth factor 7 (KGF)
- VEGFAmedium confidence
Vascular endothelial growth factor A
- SULT1A1medium confidence
Sulfotransferase family 1A member 1
- KRT85medium confidence
Keratin 85
Pathways
Signalling by WNT
high confidenceBeta-catenin dependent maintenance of anagen.
Reactome R-HSA-195721
Signalling by FGFR
medium confidenceDermal papilla growth-factor signalling.
Reactome R-HSA-190236
Nuclear receptor transcription pathway
high confidenceAndrogen receptor mediated transcription in follicular cells.
Reactome R-HSA-383280
Potassium channels
medium confidenceATP-sensitive potassium channels in follicular tissue.
Reactome R-HSA-1296071
Research on this topic
Topical minoxidil in androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review of randomised trials
Pooled analysis reported increased hair count versus placebo across multiple randomised trials.
Limitations — Regulated medicine; outcomes measured over 16-48 weeks; discontinuation reverses gains.
A review of the use of biotin for hair loss
Found supporting evidence only in cases of underlying biotin deficiency; no evidence of benefit in non-deficient individuals.
Limitations — Review of a small literature; few controlled trials exist.
Minoxidil sulfate and follicular sulfotransferase activity as a response predictor
Reported association between follicular SULT1A1 activity and clinical response to topical minoxidil.
Limitations — Observational association; identifier not verified during curation.
Adenosine increases hair thickness in women with female pattern hair loss
Reported increased anagen hair ratio and thick hair rate compared with control lotion.
Limitations — Small sample; industry-sponsored; identifier not verified during curation.
Caffeine and human hair follicle growth in organ culture
Reported counteraction of testosterone-suppressed hair shaft elongation in ex-vivo follicle culture.
Limitations — Organ culture; topical delivery to the follicle in vivo not established; identifier not verified.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- UniProt P10275retrieved 2026-09-14
- Reactome R-HSA-195721retrieved 2026-09-14