A breakthrough for baldness? Sugar gel stimulates hair regrowth
Restructured from | Health | October 8, 2025
Imagine this — a natural sugar found in your DNA might be the next big breakthrough for hair loss treatment. Scientists have discovered that a simple sugar-based gel could help regrow hair as effectively as today’s leading treatments like Rogaine.
This surprising finding comes from researchers at the University of Sheffield (UK) and COMSATS University (Pakistan), who were originally studying how certain sugars help wounds heal in mice. During the study, they noticed something unexpected — the fur near treated wounds grew back faster and thicker than normal.
That’s when they turned their focus to deoxyribose, the sugar that forms part of DNA (the “deoxyribo” in deoxyribonucleic acid).
How the Sugar Gel Works
In their 2024 study, researchers tested a deoxyribose gel on male mice with testosterone-related hair loss. When applied daily to shaved areas, the results were stunning — within weeks, thick new fur began to grow.
Even more impressive, this natural sugar gel worked just as well as minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine), one of only two FDA-approved treatments for hair loss.
“Our research suggests the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a natural sugar to boost blood flow to the hair follicles,” said Professor Sheila MacNeil, a tissue engineer at the University of Sheffield.
Why This Matters
Hereditary-patterned baldness, or androgenic alopecia, affects up to 40% of people worldwide. It’s driven by genetics, hormones, and aging — and it looks different in men and women.
Currently, only two FDA-approved options exist:
- Minoxidil, an over-the-counter topical solution that helps regrow hair for some users
- Finasteride (Propecia), a prescription pill for men that blocks hormone conversion but can cause serious side effects like low libido and depression
Neither option works for everyone — and neither is perfect. That’s why this sugar-based gel could be a game-changer.
What the Study Found
When comparing treatments on bald mice:
- Both minoxidil and deoxyribose gel showed 80–90% hair regrowth
- Combining them didn’t make a big difference
- Mice treated with sugar gel developed more blood vessels and thicker hair shafts, suggesting the gel improves blood flow to the follicles
Photographs taken during the study clearly showed visible regrowth over just 20 days.
What’s Next?
Although the tests were only done on male mice, the team believes this sugar gel could potentially help both men and women struggling with baldness — or even aid hair regrowth after chemotherapy.
“The research is still in its early stages,” said MacNeil, “but the results are promising and worth exploring further.”
If these findings hold true in human trials, this humble sugar could lead to one of the simplest, safest, and most affordable treatments for hair loss ever discovered.
The study was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology and is already drawing attention from scientists and the beauty industry alike.
Key Takeaway
A natural DNA sugar, deoxyribose, might hold the secret to reversing baldness — showing powerful results equal to Rogaine, but possibly with fewer side effects.
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