People have been trying to cure baldness for thousands of years, with everything from oils to potions. Today, dermatologists say the field is changing faster than ever — not with a single miracle cure, but with a combination of new approaches.
What causes common baldness
The most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, is linked to hormones and genetics. Over time, hair follicles shrink, producing thinner and shorter hairs until they eventually stop growing hair at all.
New medicines
Researchers are moving beyond simply slowing hair loss towards drugs that target the specific biological processes that make follicles shrink.
- Androgen receptor blockers. Compounds such as clascoterone, pyrilutamide and GT20029 block or break down the receptor through which hormones signal follicles to shrink.
- Cell signalling. Experimental molecules such as PP405 and HMI-115 act on signalling pathways inside follicle cells to help keep them active.
- Stem cells. Other research aims to reawaken the stem cells in dormant follicles so they start producing hair again.
Several of these treatments are still in clinical trials, and it will be some time before it is clear how effective they are.
Smarter surgery
Hair transplants were once judged mainly on how many grafts were moved. Today, surgeons plan them as part of a long-term strategy:
- designing a hairline that suits the face and will still look natural with age;
- anticipating how hair loss will progress over the next 10 to 15 years;
- combining surgery with medication to protect the hair the patient still has.
Regenerative treatments
Treatments using the body’s own resources, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) — in which a sample of the patient’s blood is concentrated and injected into the scalp — and preparations containing exosomes, are increasingly popular. Experts say results are promising, but more high-quality research is needed to establish who benefits and how often treatment should be repeated.
The emotional side
Hair loss can affect self-esteem and quality of life, and specialists stress that the psychological impact should be part of any treatment plan.
Not yet goodbye to baldness
Baldness will not disappear overnight. But Dr Eduardo López Bran, a dermatologist specialising in hair, says that in decades of practice he has never seen so many promising lines of research advancing at the same time. The future, specialists agree, lies in personalised treatment combining medicine, surgery, regenerative therapies and, eventually, cell therapy.
Anyone concerned about hair loss should see a dermatologist, as some forms have medical causes that need diagnosis.
