So far, there is no permanent baldness cure for the 85% of men and 55% of women who experience hair loss over the course of their lifetime [1][2]. However, research into innovative solutions to cure baldness is developing every day.
From hair cloning to CRISPR gene editing, scientists are moving ever closer to making conditions such as androgenetic alopecia history. But how close are they to achieving this dream? And is it worth waiting for?
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that a true and definitive cure for baldness will be commercially available within the decade. However, the good news is that there are many effective treatments that can help curb your alopecia and achieve hair growth.
Some of them are as close as they get to a cure – for example, a hair transplant is permanent and can be enjoyed for decades. This article will tell you all you need to know about:
It is difficult to put a confident timeline on how soon technologies which have not yet been tested on humans will become safe and feasible for commercial use. The dawn of AI may speed up the research process and help scientists develop better treatments sooner. However, even if any of the potential cures for baldness presently in the making had shown effectiveness in humans, they would still not become immediately available.
Any new treatment or therapy must undergo a thorough review process and be approved by regulatory bodies before it can be offered to patients. This is meant to ascertain its safety and effectiveness in the short and longer term. These processes often take years of careful clinical trials. Presently, most advanced procedures proposed for curing baldness have only demonstrated results in vitro or in animal trials.
Given the latest research, it is probable that an effective, permanent cure for baldness may be in humanity’s cards sometime in the future. However, since no such treatment has yet reached the stage of extensive human trials, it is unlikely to become available to the general public in less than a decade.
No developments suggest a baldness cure is on the cards anytime soon. However, some scientific discoveries could help other researchers unlock them in the future. Let’s take a look at some of the latest developments.
This innovative treatment is also known as “hair cloning,” although scientists point out that this name isn’t entirely accurate. It involves harvesting stem cells or other follicular components (e.g., dermal papillae) from healthy hair follicles, multiplying them in vitro, and then inserting them in balding areas [3][4].
Depending on the techniques used, these stem cells would help repair damaged or miniaturised follicles or even grow into new, healthy hair follicles altogether. One method involves multiplying the cells and growing them into follicles, which produce very small hairs while still in vitro. Then, they would be implanted into your scalp in a similar way to a hair transplant, and they would grow to full size [3].
While animal testing results are promising, no human hair follicle neogenesis trials have been conducted until the present day. Some scientists raised concerns that the “cloned” hair may have altered texture and growth patterns, and the procedure may even cause scalp tumours.
This type of therapy is similar in principle to hair cloning, except it uses stem cells extracted from other sources than hair follicles, such as fatty tissue. These stem cells are then processed in a laboratory, multiplied, and injected into your bald spots. There, they are expected to transform into the cells that make up hair follicles, helping repair damaged ones or even developing into new ones.
This treatment is at a more advanced stage than hair cloning, as it has already had some very small but successful human trials. One such study conducted on 9 patients with male pattern baldness showed a significant increase in hair density after 6 months of autologous cell therapy [5]. However, much larger human trials are needed to determine this therapy’s safety and effectiveness. Moreover, its costs are currently much too high to be offered therapeutically on a large scale.
In 2019, researchers in Japan proposed a new method for generating “hair beads” — a type of collagen-enriched cell aggregate (multiple cells of the same type that have bonded together) [6]. This aggregate contains cells that are part of hair follicles and supports the development of these cells into new follicles that can produce healthy hair. Hair beads can be transplanted into bald patches to regenerate lost hair cells.
They demonstrated that creating hair beads could be scalable — an important factor for cost-effectiveness and high demand. While this technology hasn’t been tested on humans yet, it paves the way for further investigation.
In April 2024, researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School published a paper which revealed promising results for a new potential alopecia areata treatment. It consists of a hydrogel microneedle patch that has the capacity to deliver a sufficient dose of immunomodulators to your scalp [8].
Immunomodulators are medications which regulate the activity in your immune system. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition (white blood cells are attacking your hair follicles), so this treatment may curb hair shedding.
Medications to suppress the immune response, such as JAK inhibitors, are already used to treat this type of alopecia. However, patients could not receive a high dose of this medication orally, as it affected their body’s capacity to respond to infection. So, patients often have to rely on steroid creams, which decrease some of the inflammation.
However, this new treatment may deliver a high enough dose of immunomodulators to significantly curb hair loss without having a systemic impact on your immune system. So far, initial animal trials have been promising, but there is a long way to go to determine its effectiveness in humans.
In January 2023, various UK news outlets reported that a baldness cure could be on the way following research that revealed humans’ so-called “caveman genes.” In this study, researchers discovered several genes that might explain how humans ultimately became hairless, unlike most mammals [9].
This will likely prove a significant step forward for gene editing. In a 2020 study, researchers used a gene editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9 to modify the genes that cause hair loss [10]. Tiny ultrasound-activated particles carry CRISPR/Cas9 proteins to the site, where they modify the genes to prevent hair loss. Having better information regarding which specific genes to target may give this technology a boost.
However, so far, these studies are still in their infancy and have yet to be proven successful in animals and then in humans.
No universal cure can work against all types of alopecia because their causes are too diverse and complex. Many factors, ranging from age, hormones and genetics to autoimmune conditions, untreated infections and accidents, can lead to hair thinning.
While it is difficult to tell what the future may bring in terms of a baldness cure, the most promising projects being developed in this respect seem to favour the following:
Male and female pattern baldness accounts for a staggering 95% of worldwide hair loss [11]. So, it is natural that the most concentrated efforts go into curing this very prevalent condition. However, it’s difficult to find a cure for pattern hair loss because so many factors are in play.
One study found that more than 200 genetic elements contribute to its development — and that’s before we even think about environmental and hormonal factors [12].
Key contributors to androgenetic alopecia include:
However, in spite of these difficulties, significant progress is currently being made in identifying treatments that can heal your hair follicles, grow new ones or even alter your genes so that pattern baldness can no longer affect you.
How to recognise androgenetic alopecia: Male pattern baldness normally manifests with a receding hairline, accompanied by temple hair loss and, in more advanced forms, a growing bald spot on the crown.
On the other hand, female pattern hair loss usually presents with a widening of the midline parting, a Christmas tree pattern around the hair part and diffuse hair loss.
Available treatments for androgenetic alopecia: While a hair transplant is often the most effective solution for more advanced balding, mild to moderate cases often respond well to medication such as Minoxidil or Finasteride.
While it is nowhere near as widespread as androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata still affects 2% of the population worldwide, which amounts to approximately 160 million people [15]. This condition is autoimmune, which makes it significantly more difficult to treat effectively without lowering the body’s defences against pathogens.
Fortunately, there have been significant breakthroughs in reversing hair loss caused by alopecia areata in the past few years. A new, more potent medication (e.g., the JAK inhibitor baricitinib, commercially known as Olumiant) was approved in 2022 [16].
Researchers are working on more efficient ways to deliver treatment safely and in a targeted manner. Still, there is still a long way to go before we have a product or procedure that can effectively cure the underlying root of this disorder, which is an overactive immune system.
How to recognise alopecia areata: While this condition can take several forms, the most common one produces smooth, round bald spots on your scalp and/or facial hair. However, in rare cases, you can lose all the hair on your scalp (alopecia totalis) or your entire body (alopecia universalis).
Available treatments for alopecia areata: The most frequently prescribed treatments include steroid creams, steroid injections and JAK inhibitors, but topical Minoxidil can also help restore hair growth in milder forms.
Not all kinds of hair loss are progressive and permanent. Some forms of alopecia completely resolve themselves in time, under the right circumstances. Here are the most common:
Telogen effluvium develops in the wake of significant physical or psychological stress. It can follow a severe illness (e.g. a more intense bout of Covid-19), a surgical intervention or a traumatic life event (e.g. stressful exams, bereavement, job loss, a breakup, etc.).
When we are stressed, our adrenal glands secrete a hormone called cortisol, which can inhibit hair follicle cell regeneration, disrupting our natural hair growth cycle. An animal study published in December 2021 found that removing the adrenal glands in mice caused hair growth to improve threefold [17]. However, in humans, that is not an option, so there is still a significant connection between stress, anxiety and hair loss.
How to recognise telogen effluvium: Often, the main sign is diffuse hair thinning all over your scalp, with no other symptoms than increased hair shedding. However, some people also experience scalp burning or tingling (trichodynia).
Resolving telogen effluvium: This type of alopecia normally resolves itself approximately 3 months after the triggering event is over or after you have lowered the overall stress in your life. If it’s been more than 6 months and your hair is still falling out, you may need to see a hair doctor, as the condition can rarely become chronic and require treatment.
Wearing tight hairstyles such as ponytails can cause hair loss, as your follicles get damaged from being pulled on for prolonged periods of time. When this happens, you may experience significant hair thinning in the areas where tension is applied. This is called traction alopecia.
How to recognise traction alopecia: Pronounced balding around your hairline, fringe or temples, sometimes accompanied by scalp irritation, redness or bumps in the affected area. You may also experience tingling, soreness or tenderness around the thinning site.
Resolving telogen effluvium: In most cases, traction alopecia will improve on its own, and your hair growth will resume a few weeks or months after you have stopped wearing tight hairstyles. Your hair follicles simply need a chance to heal. Severe or persistent forms are rare and often respond well to treatment.
While chemotherapy hair loss is the best known, many kinds of prescription drugs can make your hair fall out. Certain kinds of antidepressants, antibiotics or even over-the-counter painkillers can lead to medication-induced hair loss.
How to recognise medication-induced hair loss: Most drugs that cause hair shedding will only produce some diffuse hair thinning. However, invasive treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy can lead to total alopecia (including beard and eyebrow hair loss).
Resolving medication-induced hair loss: No longer taking the medications or treatments that have caused your hair to fall out will normally lead to hair regrowth in time.
On rare occasions when it grows back sparsely, hair loss treatments such as Minoxidil can help. Of course, ending your treatment may not always be an option, but you can try asking your physician about more hair-friendly alternatives that may help you.
Considering that any commercially available cure for alopecia is still years away, there are very few situations where it would be preferable to wait rather than get treatment. Since most hair loss medications and therapies are safe and only effective for as long as you are taking them, there is little risk in seeking immediate treatment.
Addressing your alopecia from the first signs of hair thinning and balding can prevent it from progressing and give you a better chance of achieving hair growth. Once other superior cures become available, you can always switch to them.
If you have to decide between getting a natural-looking hair transplant now or waiting several years for a full-on baldness cure, hair restoration surgery would likely be your best choice. That is because hair transplant costs are increasingly affordable, surgeons have already gathered decades of experience, and techniques have been refined to near-perfection.
A new treatment would likely be significantly more expensive in the first few years, and it could take a while for the specialists performing the procedure to master it.
There are many treatments for baldness that are already available, and some of them, such as Minoxidil or Finasteride, are quite popular and effective. However, they do not actually cure the condition that causes your hair to fall out. They only improve their symptoms temporarily, for as long as you are taking them.
A true cure for baldness aims to completely resolve or neutralise the condition that causes hair loss. However, this is much more difficult to achieve than simply improving hair density and thickness. The main types of alopecia have complex mechanisms that reunite hundreds of biological, psychological, genetic, and environmental factors.
A baldness cure may not be around the corner, but many treatments are already proven to help tackle alopecia. They can’t stop baldness at the source but can slow and even reverse hair loss.
Here are some of the most effective baldness treatments that you can get today:
If you are a good candidate for a hair transplant, this procedure has the greatest potential to restore your hair density. It is painless, simple and normally performed in a few hours in an outpatient setting.
The surgeon simply harvests healthy hair follicles from the back or sides of your head through an FUE or FUT procedure. Then, they implant them in your balding spots, where they start growing thick, healthy hair in just a few months.
Androgenetic alopecia occurs when you have too much of the male hormone DHT in your blood, as it binds to androgen receptors in your follicles, causing hair loss. Finasteride works by preventing your body from converting excessive amounts of testosterone into DHT.
It doesn’t desensitise your follicles to this hormone, but it reduces the quantity that reaches their androgen receptors. It’s currently the most recommended treatment for male pattern baldness among hair transplant practitioners worldwide [20].
Finasteride can also work against female pattern baldness, but it is not recommended for premenopausal women, as it can cause foetal malformations and hormonal imbalances.
Dutasteride works in a similar way to Finasteride, and studies show it is actually more effective [22]. So, if you don’t see results with Finasteride, Dutasteride may be the next option to try.
However, you should know that this prostate medication has not yet been approved for treating hair loss, so your hair doctor can only prescribe it to you off-label. Furthermore, just like premenopausal women can’t use Finasteride, Dutasteride is not recommended for them either, on the same considerations.
This medication dilates the blood vessels around your balding areas, stimulating blood flow to your hair roots. Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your follicles, which are essential for healthy hair growth. Minoxidil is quite versatile, and while it is more effective against androgenetic alopecia, it can also help curb hair loss in alopecia areata and chronic telogen effluvium.
PRP hair treatment involves drawing some of your own blood and using a centrifuge to separate the PRP from the other blood components. Then, the PRP is injected into your balding spots. It contains an abundance of growth factors that help your hair follicles heal and produce thicker, healthier hair. This therapy can help improve symptoms of androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, and other hair loss conditions.
While a commercially available cure for baldness is unlikely to emerge in the near future, you might be able to get the next best thing. While it doesn’t cure your alopecia per se, it can help you achieve significant, healthy hair growth. U
nlike non-surgical treatments, you can keep your newly restored locks forever. That is because the healthy hair follicles transplanted in your balding spots are not sensitive to DHT and, thus, will not be affected by androgenetic alopecia.
The prospect of still having a full head of hair 10 years after a hair transplant and even longer is appealing to many. And since the best hair clinics in the UK are perfectly safe and have an almost 100% success rate, more and more celebrities are getting hair transplants.
If you are also considering hair restoration surgery, book a free hair transplant consultation today with one of our top-tier surgeons. They will get you started on your way to putting your hair loss in the past long before the emergence of a baldness cure.
If you are curious to find out more about how a cure for baldness might work and how soon you can expect to benefit from it, read the answers to these frequently asked questions:
While this largely depends on the type of treatment used, most developing technologies that promise to cure baldness may work even if you are completely bald. That is because they rely on stem cells, genetic editing or immunomodulators to provide hair regrowth. So, having your own healthy hair follicles may not be a prerequisite.
It is highly unlikely that baldness will be cured by 2030, as there is presently no such cure in the process of being approved for large-scale commercial use. It normally takes several years to pass through multiple phases of clinical trials before receiving this approval.
Even if they were to receive this certification sooner, many of the treatments currently under development still need to have their production costs significantly scaled down before they can be offered to the general public.
The most recent hair loss discovery, published in spring 2024, involves the possibility of using a microneedle patch to deliver immunomodulators that could cure alopecia areata. This treatment seemed to be very promising in animal trials, but extensive human trials are still needed to prove its safety and efficiency.
It is not possible at this time to predict the cost of a treatment that would cure baldness, as none of the products or techniques being developed are currently close enough to mass production. However, it is safe to assume that a new treatment which promises to eradicate at least one type of alopecia would involve costly technology and highly skilled expertise.
Any patented technology will be quite expensive, as the investors need to cover the cost of its development and make some profit as well. So, you can expect a revolutionary new procedure to be significantly more pricey than any presently available hair loss treatment.
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