A gel of natural sugars repairs hair better than prescription drugs and can be a remedy for baldness.
Researchers from Pakistan and Britain found that after applying a gel made from deoxyribose – a sugar in the body that helps form DNA – mice with bald spots grew their fur back faster than untreated mice.
Deoxyribose is a fundamental component and forms the ‘sugar backbone’ of DNA. When used as a gel applied to the hair, the substance stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles, stimulating growth.
Although the compound has only been tested in mice so far, its success in the trial suggests that 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 occurs naturally in the body could potentially sidestep the potential side effects of using a topical product like Propecia (Finasteride) or Rogaine (Minoxidil), which can lead to erectile dysfunction, hormonal changes, rashes, and scalp irritation.
In the mice treated with the gel, consisting of deoxyribose mixed with other substances that deliver the active ingredient to the target area, researchers said there was no report of inflammation or irritation. They also showed denser, longer hairs without any evidence of unusual tissue damage in the area.
The follicles in treated mice also extended deeper into the skin, indicating healthier and more active hair follicles.
Dr. Sheila MacNeil, co-author and tissue engineering expert at the University of Sheffield, said: ‘Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss could be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to increase blood flow to stimulate the hair. follicles to stimulate 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 there is 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 image shows visual evidence of hair growth so you can see the differences in hair length between treatment groups
Hereditary baldness, the most common form of hair loss in men and women worldwide, is caused by a combination of genetics, hormone levels and aging.
It is also called androgenic alopecia, which highlights the important role that hormone changes play in hair growth as people age.
An estimated 80 million Americans suffer from pattern baldness.
Caused by a sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), hair follicles shrink and eventually stop producing new hair.
The natural sugar tested in the study showed potential in lowering DHT levels, which can 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 cause a condition similar to androgenic alopecia and had bald spots on their backs.
The control group did not undergo any hair loss treatments, but their coat was shaved to create a standardized starting point.
The mice were treated with the experimental hydrogel, a placebo hydrogel, or minoxidil, a common prescription treatment taken by thousands of people.
On day 14, the group treated with the experimental hydrogel showed significantly better hair growth than the other groups. By day 21, the hydrogel-treated group had 60 to 70 percent of the skin covered in hair, while the other groups had much less regrowth.
They also measured hair thickness. The group treated with the experimental drug 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 group 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 image 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 treatment with the experimental gel (T-3) appeared to increase the number of blood vessels in the skin, which could help improve the rate at which hair grows back, its length and thickness.
This is important because blood vessels nourish the hair follicles and support hair growth. The untreated group, on the other hand, had fewer blood vessels, which could slow hair growth.
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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 stimulates the growth of blood vessels around the follicles and could potentially stimulate hair growth.
The idea is that by improving blood flow 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 usually begins in the twenties and thirties, although 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 can also take up to six months to noticeably work, while the mice grew hair again within a month.
This is a “poorly under-researched area,” the researchers said.
But Dr. McNeil added, “But the results are promising and warrant further research.”