The male pattern baldness has its days numbered. Scientists have discovered that one of the causes of excessive hair loss is related to stem cells that are not fully developed on the scalp. If researchers are able to stimulate the ‘maturity’ of these cells, it is possible that the wires will grow back naturally, ending baldness.

The research was led by American doctor George Cotsarelis and funded by the U.S. government and the French cosmetics company L’Oreal. The scientists examined both hairy areas and bald areas and realized that although both regions have the same number of stem cells, the areas without hair have a cell type less. These are the progenitor cells, which are more ‘advanced’ stem cells. According to the scientist, this means there may be a problem in the activation of stem cells in bald areas of the head so they transform into progenitor cells. Now the team of Cotsarelis is exploring possibilities to solve the problem by creating a cream or lotion. It would be also possible to remove stem cells from the scalp of the patient, work on them in the laboratory and transplant them back. Researchers do not yet know whether the effect is similar in women and want to investigate it in the next stages of the study. Cotsarelis believes that a treatment will be available in the market about ten years.