Understanding hair biology

It is only recently that we have been witnessing substantial advances in the understanding of hair biology and its pathological conditions. Continuous progress is being made at a high pace thanks to the impetus of a generation of astute clinical trichologists and basic scientists interested in hair biology, the powerful tools of molecular biology and innovative technologies. At the 2005 European Hair Research Society (EHRS) Meeting on July 7–9 in Zurich, Switzerland, distinguished international speakers and young scientists gathered to present up-to-date knowledge on important topics of current hair research, such as gerontobiology of the hair follicle, hair pigmentation, neurobiology of the hair follicle, psychosomatics of hair, hair follicle immunology, genetics of hair, and progress in stem cell and tissue engineering research. This volume dedicated to the EHRS Meeting publishes not only the abstracts, but also a selection of four outstanding reviews which discuss the recent highlights in hair research and clinics.