The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and its outermost part, called the epidermis, is replenished every three weeks. The cells fueling this renewal of the epidermal stem cells are found in specialized areas or niches, within a region of the hair follicle (or root) known as the 'bulge compartment'. The bulge compartment resident stem cells are multipotent meaning that they can contribute to the repair of skin when it's injured, and also regenerate the hair follicles during normal development. While several groups have focused attention on the stem cells themselves, less is known about niche or extrinsic factors that influence the state of these stem cells.