A potential breakthrough in the science of hair growth may have been discovered in Asia, but its efficacy on humans has us scratching our heads.
Scientists at National Taiwan University believe they have found a way to grow hair through a topical serum. Tested lab mice were shown to have grown patches of hair where the serum was applied, building on hope for an answer to baldness.
Taiwan’s scientific solution doesn’t require a covert trip to Turkey for expensive hair transplants. Rather, researchers have invented a rub-on serum that promises to restore hair growth within weeks of application.
Their formula involves fatty acids that stimulate hair follicles without irritating the skin.
So far, the serum has only been professionally tested on mice. However, one ambitious scientist reportedly took the serum home and tested the concoction on his own thighs.
“I personally applied [this]… on my thighs for three weeks, and I found it promoted hair regrowth,” shared study author Professor Sung-Jan Li.
Science on Your Scalp
A graph charting the hair growth on tested mice was also shared by the University. It shows the mice began to sprout new hair follicles along the surface of their skin over the span of several days.
Researchers in Taiwan are tapping into a process known as hypertrichosis. In layman’s terms, this refers to damaging skin on a molecular level to trigger hair regeneration. The study promises not to cause pain in patients, whether mice or humans.
You can read the full scientific review in Cell Metabolism: A Cell Press journal.
As of November 2025, the serum has been successfully patented. It is currently being tested on human scalps for dosing sizes before it hits the market next year.
Hair loss can be caused by many factors. This includes genetics, aging, stress, diet, and certain medical conditions.
According to the National Council on Aging, more than half of all men will experience hair loss. Market research suggests Americans are set to spend $2.22 billion to combat hair loss.
Across the globe, scientists are hard at work searching for ways to grow hair. Dr. Espinoso Custodio from the Instituto Médico de Madrid is utilizing stem cells to regrow hair. Other scientists around the world are seeking ways to reverse balding.
The Bald and the Beautiful
Online comments about the serum are filled with memes and curiosity. People are wondering if and when the treatment will arrive stateside and how much it will cost.
Rhetoric around this story has stirred up a conversation about if baldness should be considered something that even needs to be ‘cured.’
Bald and balding people were quick to choose sides. “Baldness is a lifestyle, can’t lose the aura,” shared one X user. Others are clamoring for this potential solution to a major pain point of theirs.
There’s a growing group of bald celebrities, like Stavros Halkias (“Bugonia”) and Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”), who join the ever-hairless Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as men without hair who hold confidence in their balding. They are proving that there’s power and personality in having less hair on your head than others.
