Scientists may have found the key to preventing hair loss. In a study published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, researchers identified the molecular systems that control human hair growth, which could open up new possibilities for non-invasive therapies.
The study explored treatments for androgenetic alopecia, otherwise known as male or female pattern hair loss, which it said is the most prevalent form of hair loss worldwide. Medical tourism for invasive hair transplant procedures has become increasingly popular, with cheaper deals in places such as Turkey, as well as hormone-based drugs and topical treatments.
But unlike existing therapies, which may be invasive or slow hair loss down, this research investigates stem cell therapy.
The study examined the molecular signals that control hair follicle growth, aiming to understand how these signals could be adjusted to restart hair growth in people with pattern baldness.
Scientists found that hair loss in androgenetic alopecia, which was previously thought to be irreversible, is primarily caused by dormant cells rather than dead ones.
Researchers discovered that molecular communication sometimes got disrupted and when these signals malfunctioned, hair follicles didn’t die, but entered a dormant phase.
The study, conducted on mice, found the disconnect that leads to the hair follicles entering a “sleep mode” where they no longer produce visible strands of hair.
Scientists believe it may be possible to wake these follicles and reactivate growth by restoring communication among these systems.
This breakthrough could open the door to non-invasive therapies aimed at regrowing hair, rather than covering baldness, as reported in the Times of India.