In fact, researchers have recently found that when skin is wounded, epidermal cells can respond by assuming the properties of stem cells that generate hair follicles and growing new hair, according to a report published in the "Nature" magazine.

After removing patches of skin from mice, the researchers studied how the wounds healed in the ensuing weeks and cells that were not initially associated with hair follicles began to express genes found in the stem cells thereby giving rise to follicles during development. Hair growth occurred regardless of the mouse's age, the report said.