Most veterinarians know keratin as the protein found in hair, skin, and nails. What many don’t know is that the keratin in KeraVet Gel actually starts as human hair. It’s a fact that usually gets a double-take the first time people hear it. But the story behind that hair, and how it ultimately became a veterinary wound care product, is even more interesting.
The keratin used in KeraVet Gel is sourced from human hair collected as a byproduct of the wig industry. Hair is purchased from individuals in rural regions of Asia and shipped to the United States for processing, where the keratin proteins are extracted. The keratin is then subjected to extensive purification, quality-control testing, and safety screening before it is ever used in a medical product. So how did human hair become the foundation for a veterinary wound-care technology?
The answer takes us back nearly two decades. 
In 2008, a team of scientists, entrepreneurs, and military veterans, including KeraVet Bio CEO Dr. Luke Burnett, partnered with researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine to explore new ways to support healing in traumatic battlefield injuries.
Their work focused on keratin, a naturally occurring protein that plays an important role in the body’s structure and healing processes. What began as research for military medicine ultimately led to the development of FDA-cleared wound care products for human patients.
One of those products, KeraStat Cream, is used to help manage radiation dermatitis, a painful skin condition experienced by many cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The success of keratin-based technology in human medicine raised an obvious question:
Could it help veterinary patients too?
The answer was yes, but there was a catch.
Unlike human patients (thank goodness), dogs and cats tend to lick topical products off almost immediately. To address that challenge, scientists reformulated the keratin hydrogel with a safe, highly effective bitterant. The result was KeraVet Gel, a product designed to support healing while helping discourage the licking and chewing behaviors that can interfere with recovery.
Today, the same keratin science that was first explored for battlefield injuries and later used in human wound care is helping veterinarians manage everything from routine surgical incisions to traumatic wounds, lick granulomas, and dermatologic lesions.
Not bad for a strand of hair.
Click here for your free sample of KeraVet Gel.
Dr. Kim
The KeraVet Team
Dr. Kim Farina is a companion animal veterinarian and KeraVet marketing consultant, who was amazed when she learned where the keratin in KeraVet Gel comes from. It inspired her to write this blog.