Breakthrough for baldness? Sugar gel stimulates hair growth

Is there a sweet new solution to the bitter fate of baldness?

Scientists say they may have accidentally discovered a revolutionary cure for male pattern baldness, a genetic condition that affects up to half of men and a quarter of women by the age of 50.

A research team from the University of Sheffield in England and COMSATS University in Pakistan made this finding while studying how the naturally occurring sugar deoxyribose could heal wounds.

The researchers were applying the sugar to the wounds of laboratory mice when they noticed that the fur around the lesions regenerated rapidly.

Fascinated by the development, they took their investigation further. Scientists administered a small dose of sugar to male rats with testosterone-induced hair loss, noting that it helped form new blood vessels, leading to hair growth.

“Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss may be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to increase blood supply to hair follicles to encourage hair growth,” said Sheila MacNeil, Professor emeritus of tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield.

Researchers found the gel to be as effective as minoxidil, a hair loss treatment known by the brand name Rogaine.

While minoxidil has been shown to slow hair loss and promote some hair growth, it does not work for everyone who experiences baldness.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs to treat hereditary pattern baldness—minoxidil and finasteride (brand name Propecia), designed to keep testosterone flowing through the body.

Finasteride, which is approved for men but not women, has been shown to slow hair loss in 80% to 90% of male patients. However, finasteride has also been associated with side effects such as depression, erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, testicular pain, and suicidal ideation.

Others who suffer from hair loss opt for laser treatments or transplant surgery. Anti-aging guru Bryan Johnson swears by a three-pronged approach of red light therapy, micro-needling and topical treatments.

Because of the limited options and possible side effects, the promise of a safe and non-invasive baldness gel could be a medical breakthrough.

If deoxyribose proves effective in humans, it could also be used to treat alopecia and possibly stimulate the growth of hair, eyelashes and eyebrows after chemotherapy.

“This is a poorly researched area and therefore new approaches are needed,” the researchers wrote last month in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

MacNeil remains cautiously optimistic about her team’s findings, “The research we’ve done is very early stage, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation.”