Optimized Depilation Method and Comparative Analysis of Hair Growth Cycle in Mouse Strains

The study presents an optimized depilation method for synchronizing the hair growth cycle in mice, crucial for evaluating trichogenic interventions. The traditional method caused severe wounds in <i>C57BL/6J</i> mice, prompting the development of a new procedure using cold wax and a protective step to minimize injury. This method was tested on <i>Sv129</i> and <i>B6129F1</i> strains, revealing that while hair cycle kinetics are similar across strains, <i>Sv129</i> and <i>B6129F1</i> have more and larger hair follicles in anagen, correlating with higher hair density. The optimized method improves experimental conditions and animal welfare, supporting its use in pre-clinical hair growth studies.