Deoxyribose sugar might be the safe and non-invasive baldness treatment everyone is waiting for, according to scientists. 

Pattern hair loss is a hereditary and hormonal condition that affects both men and women worldwide as they age. 

Currently, there are only two FDA-approved drugs for treating hereditary-patterned baldness, minoxidil and finasteride, both of which are proven to help slow hair loss and regrow the hair of most male users. 

However, minoxidil doesn't always work for everyone, while finasteride users have reported experiencing negative side effects. including depression and suicidal ideation. The latter drug is designed for males to keep the testosterone flowing, but it has led some to suffer erectile dysfunction, testicular pain, and reduced libido. 

The more convenient yet expensive way to treat this type of baldness is either laser or transplant, both of which are not affordable for some. 

However, researchers from the University of Sheffield in England and COMSATS University in Pakistan recently announced that they might have discovered a new hair loss treatment in deoxyribose gel. Deoxyribose is the sugar found in DNA and is needed for the replication of cells. 

The team accidentally found out about its potential to become a hair regrowth remedy while conducting a study on how the naturally-occuring DNA sugar could treat wounds. 

Using mice as a test subject, researchers noticed that the fur around their wounds regrew rapidly upon applying the sugar gel. The team then started another investigation to prove their claim and observed the hair regrowth of male mice with testosterone-driven hair loss using deoxyribose.

If this is proven to be effective even in humans, this could be a medical breakthrough to help treat alopecia and become hair growth treatment for patients who underwent chemotherapy. 

Sheila MacNeil, emeritus professor of tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield, said she has high hopes about their study, which was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. 

"Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxyribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth," she said.

MacNeil added, "The research we have done is very much early stage, but the results are promising and warrant further investigation."