Hair care and scalp preclinical assessment

The emergence of «skinification» in 2020 highlighted a growing consumer understanding of the need to care for the scalp akin to how one cares for the skin. This approach involves using exfoliating, hydrating, and anti-aging actives to promote healthy hair growth and reduce hair damage. The scalp, where the hair follicle’s base is deeply embedded in the skin, plays a crucial role in determining hair quality, making it a focus area for the beauty field. Cosmetic brands face the challenge of addressing two key dimensions: hair treatment and scalp care. To effectively tackle this challenge, in-vitro and ex-vivo techniques are practical tools to explore potential claims and meet emerging needs. Traditional protocols often emphasize hair growth stimulation or inhibition, but the rise of skinification and increased consumer concern about damage prevention and anti-aging have spurred innovation in in-vitro evaluation.

Efficacy screening can occur through 3 primary supports:

1. In-vitro 2D models: Utilizing human follicles like HFDPC (Human Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells) and hair follicle keratinocytes, along with other cell lines like HaCaT and sebocytes for specific studies.

2. In-vitro 3D hair follicle organoids: 3D dermal papilla spheroids mimic hair regrowth and represent advancements in hair research.

3. Ex-vivo follicle dissection or scalp biopsies: samples from healthy or diseased patients maintained in culture.

Those approaches have become integral to routine hair care evaluations offering reliable opportunities for proof of concept of performance. They enable quantification and imaging of various activities related to hair metabolism. Choosing appropriate models and biomarkers and engaging in discussions with CROs, are crucial steps to establish robust evaluation protocols.

👉 Find all our preclinical testing methods on the Skinobs platforms