Researchers in Thailand believe a mangrove tree extract could help to tackle baldness.
The extract, called Avicequinon C, was found to stop the body producing hormones that can result in hair loss.
Thus far, the research team at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences have tested the extract on a group of 50 men and women with androgenic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss.
Participants had made visible improvements after a month, and what's more, it seemed the treatment not only stemmed hair loss, but also boosted hair growth.
This means it may help people who have already lost more than their fair share of hair.
The next step is to test the extract on more volunteers, so that it can be approved by Thailand's Food and Drug Administration.
Should it get the go-ahead, a private company has already bought the patent of the research, which it can use to develop a hair loss product.
Professor Wanchai Deeknamkul, from the faculty of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, said: "We found out it had many benefits. First, it stops the enzymes from producing hair loss hormones and second, it could also help produce the protein that stimulates hair growth
"We took pictures of the volunteers' heads in every corner and also used a microscope to look at the hair loss area to examine the nature of the hair loss and make an appointment after a month and repeat the same process for four consecutive months.
"We compared pictures of the same spot and found that only after a month, participants showed positive changes with improvement in hair strength that also sticks well to the scalp, while none of the participants showed any allergic reaction."
He added that its natural derivation could make it a more desirable option than synthetic alternatives.
