Osteoporosis Drug May Help Treat Baldness

BOSTON (CBS) -- Researchers at the University of Manchester in England found that a drug designed to treat osteoporosis promotes human hair growth.

More than half of all men will experience some degree of male-pattern baldness and also about a third of women so this could be a potential treatment for men and women with hair loss.

There are currently only a couple of drugs available to treat male-pattern baldness, but they're not very effective and can cause side effects so more therapies are needed.

British researchers found that in the lab, an osteoporosis drug promoted the growth of hair follicles, but clinical trials will need to be done before it can be used on patients.