A SUGAR found in the body could be a cure for baldness, experts say.
Scientists found the sweet solution successfully stimulates hair growth.
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And it is just as effective as an existing drug used to treat male pattern baldness, known as Androgenic alopecia, which affects up to half of men.
A Sheffield University team working with scientists in Pakistan found applying a small dose of the naturally-occurring sugar, called 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), stimulates hair growth in mice.
The baldness discovery came after they spent eight years studying how the sugar helps to heal wounds through the formation of new blood vessels.
The team also noticed hair around the wounds appeared to grow more quickly.
Studies on mice found the sugar is as effective as the drug Minoxidil.
Professor Sheila MacNeil, of the University of Sheffield, said: “Male pattern baldness is such a common condition, affecting men all over the world, but at the moment there are only two FDA licensed drugs to treat it.
“Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxy ribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth.
“The research we have done is very much early stage, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation.
“This could offer another approach to treating this condition which can affect men’s self-image and confidence.”
Professor Muhammed Yar, of COMSATS University, Islamabad, added: “This pro-angiogenic deoxy ribose sugar is naturally occurring, inexpensive and stable and we have shown it can be delivered from a variety of carrier gels or dressings.
“This makes it an attractive candidate to explore further for treatment of hair loss in men.”