Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, US, have 3D printed hair follicles through tissue engineering. Documented in Science Advances, this technique pushes the boundaries of lab grown skin, marking a step forward in creating skin grafts and offering new opportunities in cosmetics testing.

“Right now, contemporary skin models — the engineered structures that mimic human skin — are quite simple. Increasing their complexity by adding hair follicles would give us even more information about how skin interacts with topical products,” says Dr. Carolina Catarino, first author of the study and researcher developing new skin testing methods at Grupo Boticário, a cosmetics company in Brazil.

While including hair follicles in engineered skin might seem “superfluous,” these structures are vital for skin function. Beyond regulating body temperature through sweat production, hair follicles house stem cells crucial for skin healing.

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