Sugar gel regrows 90% of hair in bald mice

Sugar gel regrows 90% of hair in bald mice

In early 2024, a group of researchers from the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University in Pakistan published a finding in Frontiers in Pharmacology. A deoxyribose gel — a sugar that the body naturally produces and that helps form DNA — enabled male mice with testosterone-induced alopecia to regrow between 80% and 90% of lost hair. In weeks.

The discovery was accidental. The scientists were studying how these sugars healed wounds in mice when they noticed that fur grew faster around the treated lesions. From there to the specific trial on baldness. The rodents received a daily dose of gel on their shaved backs and, within weeks, showed "robust growth" and "long, thick individual" hairs, according to the study.

How the deoxyribose gel works and why it's not fully understood

The mechanism is unclear. What has been observed is an increase in skin cells and blood vessels around the treated areas. The hypothesis the researchers are working with is that this greater blood supply to the hair bulb is what stimulates hair growth. Sheila MacNeil, a tissue engineer at the University of Sheffield, sums it up: "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 trinc to stimulate hair growth."

The comparison with existing treatments is inevitable. The deoxyribose gel would be as effective as minoxidil in the animal model. And there is a caveat: combining both treatments did not improve the results of either alone.

Minoxidil and finasteride: the two approved drugs and their side effects

Androgenetic alopecia affects up to 40% of the population. The FDA has only approved two drugs to treat it. Minoxidil, available over the counter in the US and as a prescription compounded formula in Spain, works as a hair loss retardant, but not for everyone. In women, hirsutism — excessive hair growth — is a frequent and unwanted side effect.

If minoxidil doesn't work, finasteride remains, an oral prescription drug that can slow hair loss in 80-90% of patients. It requires consistent use and is not without adverse effects: erectile dysfunction, testicular or breast pain, decreased libido, and depression.

Skepticism: hair tonics, petroleum jelly, and an industry that won't give up

In the debate, several participants are skeptical. Some recall frauds in the history of hair growth products: from petroleum jelly that, according to one user, was sold at American Wild West fairs to the ampoules of the 90s and 2000s that, according to another, did nothing and cost a fortune. Some argue that the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry has no interest in a truly effective product because it would kill a multi-billion dollar business in shampoos, pills, and vitamins. Others point out that pharma is more powerful than cosmetics and that, if the gel works, they will buy it and sell it at a high price.

The health warning: lotions that affect babies

A recent warning linked eleven Spanish babies to werewolf syndrome — hypertrichosis — from the use of hair loss lotions by their parents.

Where the research stands: only male mice

Current experiments were only done on male mice. The next step is to test efficacy in female mice with testosterone-induced alopecia. If the gel works in humans, it is hoped to also treat eyelash and eyebrow loss associated with chemotherapy. For now, there are no known clinical trials in people.

Some have tried the compound on their own, with moderate results: some fuzz in the first weeks, according to experiences shared on Reddit. Others are exploring alternative avenues, such as senolytics — fisetin is relatively easy to obtain — to target trinc scarring. And some have simply opted for a buzz cut and the gym, the path popularized by certain action stars.