A gel of natural sugars restores hair better than prescription-strength remedies and could be a cure for baldness.
Researchers from Pakistan and the UK determined that after applying a gel made from deoxyribose — a sugar in the body that helps form DNA — to mice with bald spots, the fur grew back faster than in untreated mice.
Deoxyribose is a fundamental component and makes up the sugar ‘backbone’ of DNA. When used as a gel applied to hair, the substance boosts blood supply to hair follicles, encouraging growth.
While the compound has only been tested in mice so far, its success in the trial suggests human subjects could be next, potentially opening the door to another effective hair loss product on the market.
And, using a manufactured version of the sugar that naturally occurs in the body could potentially circumvent the possible side effects of using a topical product like Propecia (Finasteride) or Rogaine (Minoxidil), which can lead to erectile dysfunction, hormonal changes, rash, and scalp irritation.
In the mice subjects treated with the gel, which was deoxyribose mixed with other substances that deliver the active ingredient to the target area, researchers said there was no reporting of inflammation or irritation. They also showed denser, longer hairs without any evidence of unusual tissue damage around the area.
Follicles in treated mice also extended deeper into the skin, indicating healthier and more active hair follicles.
Dr Sheila MacNeil, a co-author and tissue engineering expert at the University of Sheffield, said: ‘Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth.’
The figure shows a comparison of how different treatments affected the hair on the backs of mice over three weeks. NC is normal control, meaning no treatment. The T-1 group was treated with testosterone, which is associated with androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The T-2 group was treated with a control gel without the experimental treatment. T-3 was treated with the experimental substance derived from natural sugar. T-4 was treated with minoxidil. T-5 was treated with a combination of the experimental sugar treatment and minoxidil
The graphic shows visual evidence of hair growth, allowing you to see the differences in hair length between the treatment groups
Hereditary-patterned baldness, the most common kind of hair loss in men and women worldwide, is caused by a combination of genetics, hormone levels, and aging.
It’s also called androgenic alopecia, which highlights the major role hormone changes have on hair growth as people age.
An estimated 80 million Americans suffer from patterned baldness.
Caused by a sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), hair follicles shrink and eventually stop producing new hair.
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The natural sugar tested in the study showed potential in reducing DHT levels, which may help prevent the miniaturization of hair follicles and promote healthier hair growth.
Researchers applied the gel to mice to test its effectiveness. Two of them had been treated with testosterone to induce a condition resembling androgenic alopecia and had bald spots on their backs.
The control group was not subject to hair loss treatments, but their fur was shaved to create a standardized starting point.
The mice were treated with either the experimental hydrogel, a placebo hydrogel, or minoxidil, common prescription treatment taken by thousands of people.
By day 14, the group treated with the experimental hydrogel showed significantly better hair regrowth than the other groups. By day 21, the hydrogel-treated group had 60 to 70 percent of their skin covered in hair, while the other groups had much less regrowth.
They also measured the hair thickness. The group treated with the experimental substance showed thicker hair than the group treated with minoxidil. Both groups also had higher hair density than the control group.
This analysis measures how long the hair grew in skin samples from different treatment groups, including the one treated with the experimental gel (T-3). There was a big difference in hair growth between the NC group and T-1 and T-2. There was no noticeable difference between the NC group and T-3 (the group treated with the experimental gel) or other treatment groups
The graphic shows microscopic images of hair shafts from different treatment groups, highlighting the structure and appearance of the hair at a more detailed level
The study also counted the number of blood vessels in the skin to understand how the treatments affected blood flow, which is important for hair growth.
They found that the treatment with the experimental gel (T-3) seemed to increase the number of blood vessels in the skin, which could help improve the speed at which hair grows back, its length, and its thickness.
This is important because blood vessels nourish hair follicles and support hair growth. In contrast, the untreated group had fewer blood vessels, which might slow hair growth.
Researchers said: ‘The better the blood supply to the hair bulb, the larger its diameter and the more hair growth.’
The researchers also suggested that this treatment could help people who lose hair due to chemotherapy, as it encourages blood vessel growth around the follicles and could potentially stimulate hair growth.
The idea is that by improving the blood supply to hair follicles, it could help people regrow hair after chemotherapy-induced hair loss, which can lead to emotional distress for patients.
Their results were published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Hair loss typically begins in the 20s and 30s, though the changes are most noticeable in menopausal women.
Minoxidil and finasteride are the standard treatments for baldness, but results vary and can be unpredictable from person to person. They could also take up to six months to noticeably work, whereas the mice subjects regrew hair within a month.
This is a ‘badly under-researched area,’ the researchers said.
But Dr McNeil added: ‘But the results are promising and warrant further investigation.’