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Studies find that 40% of men experience noticeable hair loss by the age of 35, and 65% by the time they’re 60-years-old. But what if a chemical that is found in McDonald’s French fries could help reverse balding? I’ll admit, this sounds like some made-up “reason” from a 9-year-old in a clever ruse to get his balding father to buy McDonald’s French fries. But it turns out there’s actually some science behind this absurd theory of an ingredient in deep-fried potato sticks curing baldness.
A new study by Japanese researchers claims that they have found a chemical, which is found in McDonald’s fries, that can reverse baldness. Professor Junji Fukuda of the Yokohama National University recently published a paper in the journal Biomaterials. The research paper states that they found healing properties in the chemical dimethylpolysiloxane (DMPS), which is found in silicone and is also added to oil to cook french fries at McDonald’s.
Dimethylpolysiloxane could produce hair follicles that could grow hair when transplanted into mice. The treatment helped generate up to 5,000 hair follicle germs (HFGs) simultaneously in the rodents within only a few days. The researchers believe this chemical could be a new treatment for hair loss in humans. “This simple method is very robust and promising,” Fukuda said. “We hope that this technique will improve human hair regenerative therapy to treat hair loss such as androgenic alopecia.” How do you feel about a chemical that deep-fries your food also helps mice grow hair?
Dimethylpolysiloxane is added to cooking oil to reduce splatter when frying. Fun fact: dimethylpolysiloxane is also found in the children’s toy Silly Putty, caulks, adhesives, sealant, breast implants, and cosmetics. How do you feel about a chemical that deep-fries your food is also in caulk? Dimethylpolysiloxane does not stimulate hair growth on its own so please don’t shampoo your bald scalp with French fries or Silly Putty.
[Metro]