BB Blog — cure

A potential new cure for baldness has been discovered using a drug originally intended to treat osteoporosis.

Researchers found the drug had a dramatic effect on hair follicles in the lab, stimulating them to grow.

It contains a compound which targets a protein that acts as a brake on hair growth and plays a role in baldness.

Project leader Dr Nathan Hawkshaw, from the University of Manchester, said it could "make a real difference to people who suffer from hair loss".

Only two drugs are currently available to treat balding (androgenetic alopecia):

• minoxidil, for men and women
• finasteride, for men only