New study: caffeine may be the savior of baldness

Scientists at the University of Jena in Germany have found that caffeine can stimulate the growth of hair follicles and may provide many men with a new way to treat baldness. A recent survey in five European countries found that British men suffer more from baldness than other Europeans. More than half of men said baldness made them feel older and less attractive.

In a new study, scientists have found that caffeine blocks a chemical that damages hair follicles, but does not recommend drinking large amounts of coffee to treat hair loss because they estimate that it takes up to 60 cups of coffee a day to have a significant effect on hair follicles. But Alpecin, a German cosmetics company, has developed a caffeine-rich solution that can be applied to the scalp.

Dr Fischer, who conducted the study, said: "although caffeine is a well-known substance, we know very little about its effect on human hair follicle growth, but this study shows that it is effective in stimulating hair follicle growth."

Most people lose their hair because the hair follicles that grow their hair are exposed to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone. When the blood contains a large amount of dihydrotestosterone, the hair follicles contract, resulting in younger hair and a shorter life span.