The answer to baldness might lie in the perfume section.
Camera IconThe answer to baldness might lie in the perfume section. Credit: Supplied

Smelling perfume could help prevent baldness, research says

The Daily Telegraph

Topics

FORGET all those fancy potions in the hair care range at the local pharmacy. The answer to baldness might lie in the perfume section.

The scent of sandalwood, popular in many fragrances, could help preserve your hairline, according to research.

Scientists from the University of Manchester have discovered that some cells in hair follicles contain structures that allow them to react to scents.

When exposed to the chemicals in certain odours, these receptors trigger actions including hair growth.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

In their research, the scientists applied a synthetic sandalwood odour to a sample of human scalp tissue.

The receptors in the tissue started producing growth promoting proteins and reduced cell death, which stimulated hair growth and prolonged the growing cycle of the hair.

The scent of sandalwood, popular in many fragrances, could help preserve your hairline, according to research.
Camera IconThe scent of sandalwood, popular in many fragrances, could help preserve your hairline, according to research. Credit: istock

The discovery gives hope to thousands of men with thinning hair and could lead the way to a new generation of hair loss therapies based around aroma.

The team behind the research believes new hair growth products could be available in a few years.

The research was conducted by Professor of cutaneous medicine Ralf Paus, who runs skin and hair research centre, Monasterium Laboratories. The perfume in the study, Sandalore, is commonly used as a cheap alternative to natural sandalwood oil in many cosmetics.

Professor Paus said clinical application of the findings is “not far at all”.

He added: “A very small, short and preliminary clinical pilot study performed by an independent research organisation in 20 female volunteers with topical Sandalore has already suggested a reduction of daily hair loss.”

The findings are in journal Nature Communications.

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

Download The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph app for your smartphone or tablet to get the full story.

APPLE: DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR iOS

GOOGLE PLAY: DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR ANDROID

The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph app for your smartphone and tablet is a crackerjack way to read the stories that matter most to you
Camera IconThe Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph app for your smartphone and tablet is a crackerjack way to read the stories that matter most to you Credit: The Daily Telegraph
Get alerts about the latest breaking news on your locked smartphone screen and then tap to go straight to the article
Camera IconGet alerts about the latest breaking news on your locked smartphone screen and then tap to go straight to the article Credit: The Daily Telegraph

WHAT YOU GET WITH OUR APP

Live and latest news — Get the news as it breaks 24-hours a day, 7 days a week

My News — Your own personal news feed. Tailor your news to get straight to the topics that matter to you

Today’s Paper — Read the paper anytime, anywhere with the digital replica of the paper, as its printed

Notifications — Be the first to know when big stories break with instant news alerts straight to the locked screen on your smartphone and tablet

Live Sport Scores — Stay on the ball with NRL and AFL live sport scores and expect analysis

Share — Join the conversation and share your favourite stories via Facebook, Twitter or email

Daily puzzles — With new crosswords and Sudoku puzzles every day, there’s always something to keep your mind active

Subscribe Through the app (via iTunes) to start your 30-day FREE trial; then your subscription will automatically renew to $29.99 per month.

Be alerted to breaking news as it happens or simply tap “Today’s paper” to read the newspaper as it was printed
Camera IconBe alerted to breaking news as it happens or simply tap “Today’s paper” to read the newspaper as it was printed Credit: The Daily Telegraph
Choose the news sections you want to read with “My topics” or get access to all sections with the interactive menu bar
Camera IconChoose the news sections you want to read with “My topics” or get access to all sections with the interactive menu bar Credit: The Daily Telegraph
Read the digital replica of the newspaper as it was printed that day
Camera IconRead the digital replica of the newspaper as it was printed that day Credit: The Daily Telegraph

LISTEN TO AUSTRALIA’S No1 COLD CASE PODCAST

Eight Minutes is a special investigation podcast series into the cold case murder of David Breckenridge. Listen to it on your smartphone now
Camera IconEight Minutes is a special investigation podcast series into the cold case murder of David Breckenridge. Listen to it on your smartphone now Credit: The Daily Telegraph

►► SUBSCRIBE: LISTEN ON YOUR iPhone

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook News // Facebook Sport // Facebook SuperCoach NRL // Facebook Sydney Confidential // Facebook Live Streaming // Twitter News // Twitter Sport // Twitter SuperCoach NRL // Twitter Sydney Confidential // Instagram Daily Telegraph