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It is a condition that affects half of all men and around 40 per cent of women by the time they hit 50.
But scientists say they have uncovered a simple treatment that could be the long–awaited cure for hair loss.
Researchers from the Schweitzer Biotech Company in Taiwan have created a serum which shows promising results after just two months.
The innovative treatment combines proteins that stimulate hair cells and a natural extract from the Centella asiatica plant.
After just eight weeks (56 days) of daily use, participants had thicker hair, lower oil production, greater hair density, and significantly reduced hair loss.
Hair density showed particularly strong improvements, increasing by almost 25 per cent – nearly twice that of the placebo group.
While chemical treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride are commercially available, these can cause nasty side effects ranging from depression to sexual dysfunction.
The researchers say that their plant–based treatment could be a viable alternative treatment that avoids these significant drawbacks.
Scientists have discovered a new treatment for hair loss that shows impressive results after just two months. These before (left) and after (right) pictures show how it has restored thickness
Participants using the treatment daily for two months had their hair density increase by almost 25 per cent in 56 days (pictured)
Although baldness has always been an inevitability for many people, studies suggest that stress and lifestyle changes mean more people are facing hair loss sooner in life.
An estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the US are affected by hair loss, scientifically known as androgenic alopecia.
This has created a booming industry for hair loss treatments, with an estimated value of $7.6 billion (£5.7bn) in 2020 that is expected to rise to $13 billion (£9.7bn) by 2028.
Pharmaceutical companies are now exploring multiple possible treatments for the condition with varying results.
Some researchers are studying how stem cells could be used to manipulate cells in the scalp, while others are looking for chemicals that can wake up 'sleeping' hair follicles.
However, researchers from the Schweitzer Biotech Company attempted to find an alternative solution.
The scientists combined caffeine (a common ingredient in hair loss shampoos), two proteins known to stimulate cell growth, and extracts from the tropical plant Centella asiatica.
It was hoped that this combination of factors would help encourage healthy follicles to produce more hair while preventing more hair loss from occurring.
The key ingredient of the new treatment is an extract from the tropical plant Centella asiatica (pictured), which is known for its anti–ageing, restorative, and anti–inflammatory uses
What is in the serum?
- Caffeine
- Vitamin B5
- Insulin–like growth factor–1 (IGF–1)
- Fibroblast growth factor–7 (FGF–7)
- Centella asiatica extracts
To check how it works, the researchers recruited 60 adults aged between 18 and 60 who had moderate levels of hair loss.
The participants were divided into five groups, each of which was given a serum containing a different mixture of chemicals.
One group was given a placebo containing no active ingredients, while all the others were given some mixture of the serum's ingredients.
The fifth group received a serum containing the full treatment of caffeine, vitamin B5, stimulating proteins, and Centella asiatica extract.
The participants were instructed to apply one millimetre of the serum to their scalp every night for two months.
The researchers took measurements to track their hair growth, including hair length, stand thickness, sebum levels, and hair density.
All five groups showed some improvements over the two months, but those with active ingredients saw the most progression.
However, the group receiving the full treatment saw the biggest benefits of all.
Compared to a placebo treatment, participants using just one millimetre of the serum every day gained almost twice as much hair density and hair thickness
Participants in this group saw their hair thickness increase by 27.9 micrometres, compared to just 13.9 micrometres in the placebo group.
Meanwhile, hair density increased by 23.9 per cent – nearly double that of the placebo.
This suggests that the combination of plant extracts and stimulating chemicals could be a viable hair loss treatment.
In their paper, which is currently awaiting peer review, the researchers write: 'While topical minoxidil and finasteride remain the most widely used growth stimulants, they are known to cause rebound shedding upon discontinuation and side effects that 345 impact quality of life.
'Therefore, combining growth factor with plant–derived EVs [extracellular vesicles] may offer a multi–targeted approach to scalp care.'
The fact that the most promising treatment was also the only one containing Centella asiatica also suggests that this plant is key.
Dr Christos Tziotzios, a dermatologist from King's College London, told New Scientist: 'This plant has been used for anti–ageing and restorative, anti–inflammatory uses. So it's a bit of a miracle plant, supposedly.'
However, the researchers also caution that their study is small and relatively short–term.
These pictures demonstrate how the treatment was able to prevent more hair loss from occurring while also encouraging new, healthy growth. The researchers say their serum could be an alternative to existing treatments like Monoxodil
The best performing treatment was the one containing Centella asiatica alongside proteins which stimulate cell growth (labelled E). This suggests that the plant might play a key role in preventing hair loss
Going forward, the researchers say that further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms driving the improvements and to see what happens if the treatment is used more frequently.
Dr Tziotzios added: 'That doesn't mean it's not a potentially interesting thing to look at, but it does need further work obviously.
'The better we get in terms of our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning hair loss in general, hair biology, the more likely we are to get closer and closer to a radical treatment.'
What are the causes of hair loss?
It is perfectly normal for people to lose small amounts of hair as it replenishes itself and, on average, people can shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day.
However, if people start to lose entire patches of hair or large amounts of it it can be more distressing and potentially a sign of something serious.
Pattern baldness is a common cause of hair loss as people grow older. At least half of men over the age of 50 will lose some of their hair just through the ageing process, according to the British Association of Dermatologists.
Women may lose their hair as they grow older, too.
Other, more concerning causes of hair loss include stress, cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, weight loss or an iron deficiency.
Most hair loss is temporary, however, and can be expected to grow back.
Specific medical conditions which cause the hair to fall out include alopecia, a disorder of the immune system; an underactive or overactive thyroid; the skin condition lichen planus or Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer.
People should visit their doctor if their hair starts to fall out in lumps, falls out suddenly, if their scalp itches or burns, and if hair loss is causing them severe stress.
