Definition of hair follicle
: the tubular epithelial sheath that surrounds the lower part of the hair shaft and encloses at the bottom a vascular papilla supplying the growing basal part of the hair with nourishment — see hair illustration
Examples of hair follicle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hair loss is caused by a hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which can cause shrinkage of the hair follicle.
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Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021
At 8, Turner underwent a scalp biopsy, which determined an official diagnosis: alopecia, which is a chronic condition in which the immune system attacks the hair follicle.
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Devon Abelman, Allure, 31 Aug. 2021
After discovering this mechanism of hair loss, Dr. Yi and colleagues isolated two genes called FOXC1 and NFATC1 that seemed to be less active in older hair follicle cells and may be responsible for inducing the stem cells’ escape.
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William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021
In the latest update in the ongoing custody case between the former couple, who share 3½-year-old son James, Glennon requested that Portwood submit to a hair follicle drug test, Indiana court records show.
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Charlotte Triggs, PEOPLE.com, 27 Oct. 2021
Shaving creates sharp edges on your hair, so a curved hair follicle (like most pubic hairs) is ripe for poking in the wrong direction.
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Zahra Barnes, SELF, 12 Oct. 2021
With female-pattern baldness, that's not the case—the hair follicle remains alive, so there's a possibility of restimulating hair growth with certain treatments.
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Emilia Benton, Health.com, 27 Sep. 2021
In cases of male-pattern baldness, there's a complete loss of the hair follicle, meaning hair can never grow back in that spot naturally.
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Emilia Benton, Health.com, 27 Sep. 2021
The cap uses 100% medical grade laser diodes to stimulate and renew cells within the hair follicle for thicker, healthier hair.
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Kristin Auble, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hair follicle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Hair follicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair%20follicle. Accessed 16 Jan. 2022.
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The first known use of hair follicle was in 1838
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