Hair follicles reconstitute themselves though the hair cycle, suggesting the presence of stem cells. Slow-cycling cells were found in the bulge area and were considered as stem cells of the epidermis. Multiple studies have constantly demonstrated that bulge cells possess stem cell properties such as high proliferative capacity and multiple potencies to regenerate into not only hair follicles but also sebaceous glands and epidermis. Recently, the knowledge of the bulge cell biology is rapidly increasing along with the identification of novel cell surface markers, the ability to isolate living bulge cells, and the microarray analysis of multiple gene expression.
Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; Epidermis ; cytology ; physiology ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; physiology ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Regeneration ; Sebaceous Glands ; physiology ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology

Management of incisional scar is intimately connected to stages of wound healing. The management of an elective surgery patient begins with a thorough informed consent process in which the patient is made aware of personal and clinical circumstances that cannot be modified, such as age, ethnicity, and previous history of hypertrophic scars. In scar prevention, the single most important modifiable factor is wound tension during the proliferative and remodeling phases, and this is determined by the choice of incision design. Traditional incisions most often follow relaxed skin tension lines, but no such lines exist in high surface tension areas. If such incisions are unavoidable, the patient must be informed of this ahead of time. The management of a surgical incision does not end when the sutures are removed. Surgical scar care should be continued for one year. Patient participation is paramount in obtaining the optimal outcome. Postoperative visits should screen for signs of scar hypertrophy and has a dual purpose of continued patient education and reinforcement of proper care. Early intervention is a key to control hyperplastic response. Hypertrophic scars that do not improve by 6 months are keloids and should be managed aggressively with intralesional steroid injections and alternate modalities.
Cicatrix/*prevention & control/surgery ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/prevention & control ; Humans ; Keloid/prevention & control/radiotherapy ; Sebaceous Glands/physiology ; Skin/physiopathology ; Wound Healing