Scientists at National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taiwan have unveiled a new topical serum that reportedly triggers hair regrowth in just about 20 days in laboratory animals.
The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, describes how naturally-derived fatty acids were applied to shaved mouse skin and, within the 20-day timeframe, new hair growth was observed.
The lead researcher, Sung‑Jan Lin, even reports a limited self-test on his own legs, where he observed hair growth after about three weeks of applying the fatty acid solution.
While the results are very promising, the scientists emphasize that the treatment is still at a pre-clinical stage and has not yet been proven in large human trials.
How the Serum Works
The key to this discovery lies in understanding how the body sometimes regenerates hair after skin injury. The NTU team built on the phenomenon called hypertrichosis — increased hair growth following irritation or injury to the skin.
In their experiments, the researchers applied a mild irritant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) to shaved mouse skin, which triggered immune cells (macrophages) to infiltrate the fatty layer beneath the skin.
These immune cells then prompted adipocytes (fat cells) to release monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as oleic acid and palmitoleic acid.
These fatty acids were then taken up by hair follicle stem cells via a transporter protein (CD36) and activated a metabolic regulator (PGC-1α) that helped awaken dormant hair follicles.
The breakthrough came when the scientists discovered that they could bypass the irritation step entirely by applying the fatty acids directly as a serum, triggering hair regrowth in the mice within about 20 days.
Why This Is Potentially Significant
Current treatments for hair loss — such as Minoxidil or Finasteride — tend to target blood flow or hormonal pathways, and often require long term use with varying effectiveness.
The NTU serum represents a novel approach: metabolic signaling via fatty acids to awaken follicles rather than just preventing hair loss or stimulating existing follicles mildly.
Because the fatty acids are naturally occurring in the body and in plant oils (for example oleic acid in olive oil, palmitoleic acid in some nuts and oils), the prospects for safety are more favourable, although not yet proven in humans.
If human trials confirm the effect, this could become a more natural, easier-to-apply topical solution for many people confronting hair thinning or baldness.
Limitations and Things Still Need to be Proven
Despite the excitement, several major caveats remain. First, the 20-day regrowth result has so far been achieved only in mice, whose hair growth cycle is much faster and whose physiology is different from the human scalp.
According to NDTV, one expert summary explicitly warned: "mouse studies don’t automatically translate into human results." Second, the application in humans has not yet been thoroughly tested — no large scale, randomized human clinical trials have been published.
Third, the treatment context in the lab involved shaved mouse skin and controlled application; real-world human scalp conditions (e.g., androgenetic alopecia, pattern baldness, scarring) are far more complex.
Finally, while the ingredients are naturally derived, concentrated topical application may still carry risks (irritation, changes in skin microbiome, unanticipated effects) that must be vetted in human safety studies.
What’s Next?
The research team at NTU has filed for a patent on the serum, indicating plans to move toward human testing and potentially commercialization.
The next steps will include clinical trials to determine effective dosage, application frequency, safety on human scalp skin, and long-term results (whether the regrowth is durable and how it stacks up in various kinds of hair loss).
If successful, the serum could become a topical product available over-the-counter, rather than a more invasive or pharmaceutical treatment.
Advisably one should continue with medically approved treatments, scalp care, nutrition and dermatological advice until more human evidence is available.
