A new hair transplant alternative has been discovered by accident by a team of scientists at the University of California.
The group was investigating the effects of stress on gastrointestinal function when they identified a chemical compound that can stimulate hair growth.
It does this by blocking a stress-related hormone associated with hair loss.
Million Mulugeta, an adjunct professor of medicine in the division of digestive diseases at the university, commented: "Our findings show that a short-duration treatment with this compound causes an astounding long-term hair re-growth in chronically stressed mutant mice.
"This could open new venues to treat hair loss in humans through the modulation of the stress hormone receptors, particularly hair loss related to chronic stress and aging."
Also this week, a team from the Paris Descartes University found that men who begin to go bald at the age of 20 are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer later in their life.
