Researchers in Beijing and Hong Kong developed a comb-shaped bioelectronic system called Detangle that delivers hair loss treatments deep into the scalp to achieve near 100% hair regrowth in mice, according to a study published on November 11 in Nature Communications.
During a 28-day trial on hairless mice models, the device yielded a hair coverage rate approaching 100%, outperforming the roughly 70% recovery rate of minoxidil, a widely used topical hair loss treatment.
Detangle relies on an engineered layout that maximizes electric fields across the scalp. The device features a control circuit, a substrate layer, and two distinct types of comb teeth of varying lengths. The longer teeth act as electrode modules, while the shorter teeth function as loading modules that release medication upon contacting the skin, much like the tip of a ballpoint pen.
When the long and short teeth mesh along the scalp’s contours, they generate an electric field with an intensity of 260.37 volts per meter at the hair follicles. This field is 2.63 times stronger than traditional electrode designs that use uniform comb teeth heights. The electrical force temporarily opens cell membranes around the hair follicles, allowing pharmaceutical molecules to slip directly inside.
Measurements showed that Detangle drove therapeutic molecules down to a depth of 0.66 millimeters beneath the skin in just one second. This depth is roughly nine times deeper than standard topical application methods, while intracellular molecular absorption efficiency increased by up to 3.4 times.
The treatment protocol pairs electrical stimulation with two types of molecular compounds. The electrical stimulus activates hair-regrowth signals while simultaneously suppressing inflammation and dihydrotestosterone, a hormone linked to hair loss, which collectively increases local blood flow and follicle count.
Researchers combined this stimulation with genetic materials designed to promote blood vessel formation around hair follicles and interfering agents that halt the production of hair-loss hormones. Safety evaluations involving repeated applications to the same skin areas showed no tissue damage or abnormal inflammatory responses, confirming the device’s biocompatibility.
The current study remains strictly at the animal testing stage. The research team plans to pursue subsequent trials to evaluate human safety and clinical efficacy, aiming to develop the technology into a non-invasive treatment for androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male-pattern baldness.
