The team simulated testosterone-based balding in mice and treated them with deoxyribose sugar, which stimulated blood vessel formation and ultimately caused hair regrowth. Researchers say that the sugar treatment is just as effective as minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine), a hair loss treatment currently on the market. Well, one specific type of sugar, known as deoxyribose sugar. And on top of being a building block of life, the sugar could apparently be the cure for hair loss. “Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring [deoxyribose] sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth.”Interestingly, the 8-year-long study didn’t start as an attempt to cure hair loss.