"Baldness" (male pattern baldness) has been reported to relent with, regrowth of the hair- after the bald guy received immune suppression therapy. If research can show that the immune response was to the presence of demodex mites in the androgen-addled sebaceous glands of the hair follicles that were affected, perhaps removal of the demodex mites could prevent/cure baldness. I would do this research myself but lack volunteers, and anyway I am busy watching reruns of Simpsons. Demodex has been considered "normal" for many many years, but that is simply typical of "medicine"- doctors consider anything not proven pathologic to be "normal", even though in some it seems more normal than in others. Currently there are few good drug treatments for human parasites- and the "good" ones are often very toxic to humans. Especially the drugs taken internally. Bio-treatment? Maybe someone with less arachnophobia than I can breed a spider that feeds on these mites- roaming around and devouring the larva and adults! volunteers?
-- lewstanley, Jan 22 2015

Have you tried Finasteride? Its a drug meant for prostate problems but it has been shown to stop hairloss in 90% of men it works by reducing the production of a certain kind of testosterone.

Ive found it works, but but its not without side effects..
-- bob, Jan 22 2015


Have you got references for the claim that immune suppression causes hair regrowth?

Interesting idea, though, that immune responses to common mites causes baldness.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 22 2015


Perhaps move this from Other:General to Science:Health:Symbiotic Relationship ?
-- normzone, Jan 22 2015


Baldness is a noble attribute of manliness.

Men who are not bald, are jealous.
-- pocmloc, Jan 22 2015


//Men who are not bald, are jealous.//

Men who are bald at the front are great thinkers. Men who are bald on top are great lovers. Men who are bald all over just think they're great lovers.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 22 2015


I just thought it's an environmental adaptation to global warming, more exposed scalp=easier to stay cool..
-- not_morrison_rm, Jan 22 2015


...and all of us save hundreds on barber fees over you follicular over-achievers.
HUNDREDS I say! muhahahahahaha
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 22 2015


To make baldness normal, don't cure it, instead make baldness so fashionable that everyone will do it. And naturally bald people will be envied.

It could happen. We've mostly done it for genitals.
-- tatterdemalion, Jan 22 2015


More exposed scalp also equals more reflectivity which cools the earth more.
-- RayfordSteele, Jan 23 2015


"Cure Baldness" ? It's not a disease. It's freedom.
-- cudgel, Jan 25 2015


//Have you got references for the claim that immune suppression causes hair regrowth? //

I don't have a reference, but a colleague who went to a conference earlier in the month mentioned a talk where a chemical with immunosuppressive effect also caused hair growth. They'd made a derivative with just the latter, so it is apparently an independent effect. Perhaps it's that, which got garbled somewhere along the way.
I'll see if I can track it down.
-- Loris, Jan 25 2015


I have read that certain birds land on anthills and remain there, the ants swarming into the feathers and feasting upon the parasitic burden therein. This same approach could be used against the mites, and might also be useful against dandruff.

I am a little concerned that the mites might be well lodged and greased in, and so impervious to the ants without a lot of digging.

The problem is a control group. If one could somehow expose only half of the scalp to the ants, each person could be his own internal control.
-- bungston, Jan 25 2015



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