In news that is sure to test just how far balding men will go to regrow their hair, a small study published this week in the British Journal of Dermatology suggests that human blood could be a possible cure for hair loss. So if you see a bald man smearing blood all over the top of his head, don’t be afraid — we’s just trying to regrow his hair! Or he’s a dangerous madman. Y’know, call it 50/50.
It’s not just blood that seems to have a beneficial effect on hair growth, but platelet-rich plasma (PRP) a substance that can be extracted from blood. Researchers working with the International Hair Research Foundation took blood from test subjects, extracted out the PRP, and then injected the a solution of the substance back into their scalps. The team behind the research believes that the PRP injections may create new stem cells below the scalp that can encourage new hair growth. Similar treatments have already been tested to provide relief from ailments like tendinitis and arthritis, demonstrating mixed results.
The study of 45 participants put blood plasma up as a treatment option against tradtitional steroid hair-loss treatments and placebo, and it beat both alternatives in restoring hair growth to bald patches. With this heartening data under their belts, researchers’ next step is to develop a salve or cream than can be topically applied, doing away with injections as part of the treatment. No word on whether they’ll continue to use patient’s own blood, or use this as an excuse to give the long discounted theories of Countess Elizabeth Bathory a scientific test and see if virgin’s blood really is a cure-all. Actually…we’re probably better off not doing that.
Also, while a salve certainly sounds easier, someone should probably tell the team that “rubbing a blood salve on your head” isn’t really any less creepy than injecting blood into your scalp.
(via Daily Mail)
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