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In the answer to millions of men’s prayers, scientists may have got to the root of baldness. They have identified a scalp chemical that stops hair from growing. Excitingly, drugs that block the protein have already been developed for other purposes, meaning a hair restoring lotion or potion could be on the market in under five years.

An injection that gives middle-aged men the hairline of their youth could be available in just five years, scientists predicted last night. The jab would use fat cells from the tummy to pep up hair growth on the scalp. The required amount of fat would not be enough to make a noticeable difference to waistlines. In a series of experiments, researchers from Yale University in the United States looked at what triggers the hair growth. They found fat cells to be key, with immature fat cells producing chemical signals that ‘wake up’ dormant follicles, leading to the production of hair....

Baldness: Put a Crown on It Of all the details surrounding Prince William’s April marriage to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, few seem to have garnered as much attention as his rapidly receding hairline. “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “No Hair to the Throne” are among the many headlines that have appeared in the British tabloids. Which poses a question: Is it possible that the 28-year-old prince felt an urge to lock up a commitment from Ms. Middleton because his heart-throb status might be beginning to disappear with the hair? If so, what must the rest of...

German scientists have successfully grown hair follicles from stem cells, and claim it could translate into a cure for baldness in the next five years, BioScholar.com reported. The stem cells used in the study at Berlin’s Technical University were taken from animals, but researchers said they hope to use human stem cells within a year. Professor Roland Lauster said the study could result in a baldness treatment for as much as 80 percent of people who suffer from hair loss. “Since 1950 the number of new chemicals used in cosmetics has risen 500—fold, and so has the need for animals...

Dr Simon Ourian, a cosmetic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California, claimed that he stumbled upon its unexpected powers by accident while treating his mother who was suffering from migraines after having chemotherapy which had made her hair fall out. Familiar with Botox's use as a headache treatment, he injected the chemical – the medical name for a form of Botulinum toxin – into her scalp but was surprised to find that it also appeared to help her hair to grow back. He said that he tested his discovery on volunteers for three years, adding a mixture of vitamins to...

* Study finds hair loss gene in mice * Gene shared by both mice and humans * Could lead to cure of baldness in humans EXPERIMENTS on mice have revealed a gene that is linked to early hair loss, a Japanese researcher said today, sparking hopes for a treatment to prevent thinning and baldness in humans. The research team found that the absence of a gene known as Sox21 -- which it said is shared by humans and mice -- can lead to early hair loss. The scientists biologically engineered mice by blocking the gene and found that the rodents...

Thomas Whitfield: The Oxford student who plans to make baldness a thing of the past An Oxford PhD is developing a new technology that he believes will offer effective hair loss prevention to the masses. By Richard Tyler Thomas Whitfield is hoping his business will give him plenty to smile about There comes a moment in most men's lives when they have to admit that they are losing their hair. The realisation is painful enough; doing something about it is even worse. The slippery descent into lotions and pills, toupés and skin grafts fills most with horror. But where there's...

A man was beaten by his fiance and in-laws and relieved of his belongings in India after they found out he was bald and wearing a wig, it was alleged yesterday...

17th century baldness cure is chicken dung says Ye Olde Men's Goode Health By OLINKA KOSTER 30th August 2007 In our age of gyms and jogging, dental floss and deodorants, mouthwash and moisturisers, a chap can waft along with ease every day feeling fit and fragrant. But back in 1654, with Oliver Cromwell ruling England, good health and grooming for men was somewhat more basic. Then, no self-respecting male's medicine chest was apparently complete without liberal supplies of cat's dung, snail's blood and chicken droppings - not to mention arsenic and brimstone. Gruesome as they may sound, they were recommended...

Study demonstrates that mice can regrow hair follicles at wound sites; the finding could lead to treatment for human hair lossAside from a few, fleeting empirical observations in the 1950s, adult mammals appear to be lacking regenerative abilities. Just ask anyone whose hair follicles have died—the result is baldness. But there is a glimmer of hope for the hair-challenged among us. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania report that new hair follicles formed on the backs of mice that had suffered open skin wounds. The finding could pave the way for use in regenerating human hair. In fact, that possibility...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mice with deep skin wounds can grow new hair, scientists said on Wednesday in a finding that offers hope for a baldness remedy for humans. ADVERTISEMENT The mice regenerated hair at the site of the wound via molecular processes similar to those used in embryonic development, according to the research, published in the journal Nature. ...

Could a graze on the head help cure baldness? Biologists had thought that once mammals lose their hair follicles, they are gone forever. Now George Cotsarelis at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and his colleagues have shown that adult mice can regenerate follicles when their skin is wounded.

You probably think you know what frightens most men. A long-weekend at the in-laws' place. Antiquing. Running out of beer in the third quarter. But that's just the stuff he'll admit to being afraid of, which, by definition, means they're not his true deep fears. So how can you determine what those are? Easy: They're the ones he'll almost never talk about. But I will. Let's count down through the Scary Fifteen: #15 Hair in the drain. #14 Getting caught noticing another woman. #13 Rejection. #12 Super Nanny. #11 Speedos. #10 His dad's death. #9 Her tears. #8 Being a...

SHERMAN OAKS, February 16, 2007 - Britney Spears is back in the U.S., and she's sporting a brand new look. Spears was photographed at the valley tattoo shop "Body and Soul" in Sherman Oaks, getting a tattoo reportedly of a pair of red and pink lips on her wrist. But the biggest change to the pop singer's style? She shaved her head bald. Spears could be seen inside the tattoo parlor with her head fully exposed, but as she left the shop she was led by her bodyguard straight to a waiting SUV. Spears had her head covered with a...

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say a businessman pardoned by former President Clinton has been found dead inside his South Beach condo. Miami Beach police say 63-year-old Almon Braswell was found dead October 28th in his Ocean Drive condo by his employees. It's believed he died from a previous injury. Additional information hasn't been released. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner is labeling Braswell's death as "unclassified" pending more tests. Clinton granted 177 pardons and clemencies just before leaving office in 2001. Braswell was pardoned of convictions for fraud and other crimes stemming from false claims in 1983 about...

The government is providing 1.85 million pounds of funding to a Cambridge-based company that is building a robot to help treat baldness. Biosciences firm Intercytex aims to perfect a treatment that involves taking hair follicles from the back of the neck, multiplying them and replanting them where they are needed. The company said on Friday it had been awarded funding from the government's Technology Programme, which it planned to use to develop a robotic system to speed up the painstaking process of multiplying the hair cells before they are replanted. "The technology is challenging. No one has done this before,"...

A TREATMENT for balding men, women with stretchmarks and anyone who has gum disease may have been discovered by scientists. As cure-alls go, an injection of fibroblasts may be the ultimate. The new technology is being developing by Isolagen, a Texas-based biotech company, and 50 patients are to undergo clincial trials in London. Fibroblasts are tiny cells that control levels of the proteins collagen and elastin, which are found in skin, bones and other tissue. To treat burns, the scientists take cells from an undamaged area, extract the fibroblasts and multiply them in the laboratory before injecting them back into...

Scientists discover ultimate ‘cure-all’ By A Correspondent A TREATMENT for balding men, women with stretchmarks and anyone who has gum disease may have been discovered by scientists. As cure-alls go, an injection of fibroblasts may be the ultimate. The new technology is being developing by Isolagen, a Texas-based biotech company, and 50 patients are to undergo clincial trials in London. Fibroblasts are tiny cells that control levels of the proteins collagen and elastin, which are found in skin, bones and other tissue. To treat burns, the scientists take cells from an undamaged area, extract the fibroblasts and multiply them in...

March 28, 2005 -- Stem cells from hair follicles can give rise to new nerve cells, researchers report. The finding could lead to a new, accessible source of stem cells for therapeutic uses, they report. Stem cells have drawn a lot of attention, as they can develop various kinds of cells in the right conditions. Adult stem cells are found in various tissues in the body and can reproduce themselves into various forms of the cells found within the same type of tissue. Researchers say by harnessing a stem cell's natural ability to reproduce and replenish cells, they may be...

REALLY? THE FACTS Many Americans are quick to plop down large sums of money for trendy haircuts or trips to upscale salons, but some hairstyles can carry unforeseeable costs. Tight ponytails, cornrows, buns, chignons, twists and other hairstyles that pull on the scalp for prolonged periods can result in irreversible hair loss, a medical condition known as traction alopecia. There are no figures on how many people in the United States have experienced the problem, but it is probably most common in women and children. It is also prevalent among African-Americans and East Indians, groups that are more likely to...