Hair loss affects millions, yet treatments remain frustratingly complex. Some require a daily commitment, others have side effects—and many simply don’t work for everyone. But scientists may have uncovered a simple hair loss cure that’s been hiding in plain sight: sugar.
Not just any sugar, though. This new cure is heavily based on one that’s already part of your DNA. Researchers from the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University were studying how a natural sugar called deoxyribose helps heal wounds in mice.
During those experiments, they noticed something odd: fur near the treated areas was growing back faster and thicker than expected. That accidental observation turned into a focused study on what would become one of the simplest hair loss cures scientists have developed.
To test the sugar’s potential for treating hereditary-patterned baldness, the researchers created a gel infused with deoxyribose and applied it to mice with testosterone-induced hair loss. Within weeks, the treated skin began to sprout new fur—dense, long, and healthy.
The results weren’t subtle either. In fact, the sugar gel matched the effectiveness of minoxidil, a popular over-the-counter treatment also known as Rogaine. What makes this finding even more compelling is how safe and accessible it could be as a hair loss treatment.
Deoxyribose is already a naturally occurring sugar in the body, and the gel developed by the research team is biodegradable and non-toxic. In photos comparing different treatments, mice given the sugar gel showed regrowth as strong as those given minoxidil—without needing to combine the two.
The researchers also noticed that the sugar in the simple hair loss cure appeared to increase blood vessel growth and skin cell activity around the hair follicles. Since better blood supply often translates to healthier, thicker hair, this may be one reason the treatment worked so well.
When examined under a microscope, the regrown hairs were visibly thicker than those in the control groups. While it’s not yet clear exactly how deoxyribose triggers this response, the findings are promising—especially given the limited options currently available.
This simple hair loss cure could potentially help treat alopecia or even aid hair regrowth after chemotherapy. And because it’s built on a naturally occurring molecule, it might offer a gentler alternative for those who can’t tolerate existing medications.
For now, the team is focused on understanding how the sugar works and whether these results can be replicated in humans. But the early signs suggest that an easier, safer approach to treating hair loss could be just around the corner.
