The Future of Hair Loss Treatment: Will We No Longer Worry About Hair in 2035?

So far, the mainstay of hair loss treatment has been finasteride or dutasteride (5-alpha reductase inhibitors), minoxidil, and, in some cases, hair transplant surgery.

Over the next 10 years, however, a much wider range of new technologies and new drugs is expected to emerge.

Moving beyond the existing hormone-suppression-centered treatment paradigm, remarkable innovations are taking place in broader fields such as immunology, genetics, and regenerative medicine.

In the article below, we will look at how hair loss treatment may develop over the next 10 years

and review major research and drug development trends attracting attention both in Korea and abroad.

1. Upgrading existing drugs: 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and minoxidil

2. Improved 5-alpha reductase inhibitors

o Research is progressing toward reducing the side effects of finasteride and dutasteride, adjusting their duration of action, or developing topical formulations to improve patient convenience and safety.

o There is also active research on combination prescriptions with anti-androgen agents that work through different mechanisms to reduce side effects and maximize efficacy.

o Among domestic pharmaceutical companies, Chong Kun Dang is known to be preparing a hair loss treatment pipeline, and based on information inside and outside the industry, there is a view that it is researching candidates that modify the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor class or add a new mechanism.

o Specific code names or clinical-stage information have not been disclosed, but analysis suggests that the most likely directions are reducing the side effects of oral drugs and changing the formulation (for example, a topical preparation), or a multi-target approach that simultaneously regulates scalp inflammation and hormone metabolism.

2. Improved minoxidil formulations

o Clinical cases are gradually accumulating in which high-concentration, high-penetration minoxidil foam or oral minoxidil helps suppress hair loss progression or improve hair density.

3. Long-acting finasteride and dutasteride

o Inventage Lab is developing a long-acting depot formulation that can maintain blood concentration of finasteride or dutasteride for a certain period (weeks to months) with a single injection.

o It is drawing attention as a novel approach that reduces the inconvenience of daily oral dosing and keeps drug levels stable, thereby lowering side effects and improving treatment efficacy.

2. JAK inhibitors and immune/inflammation regulation

• Alopecia areata vs. androgenetic alopecia

o As many studies have shown that JAK inhibitors are quite effective for alopecia areata, clinical studies are beginning to test whether they can also be applied to androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

o There is strong hope that blocking the mechanisms by which immune and inflammatory responses affect scalp hair follicles may slow the progression of hair loss.

o Among domestic pharmaceutical companies, JW Pharmaceutical is also exploring the possibility of expanding JAK inhibitors or immunomodulators into the hair loss field while studying immunological mechanisms of action.

• Antibody therapy (using immunomodulation)

o Research is also being conducted on methods that use antibodies to selectively block inflammatory factors or autoimmune responses.

For example, Epibiotech is developing an antibody therapy platform that selectively acts on inflammatory and immune substances around hair follicles, and it is at the stage of reviewing the possibility of expanding its application to androgenetic alopecia.

3. New RNA interference (RNAi)-based technologies

• RNA interference technologies such as SAMiRNA

o BiOnica’s SAMiRNA (Self-Assembled Micelle inhibitory RNA) and OligoX’s RNA interference platform are attracting attention.

o By suppressing the expression of specific genes, they propose new treatments by directly blocking hormone responses that cause hair loss (mainly DHT) or inflammatory cytokine pathways.

o Because their mechanisms differ from those of existing 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, they are expected to offer advantages in terms of side effects and resistance.

4. Regenerative medicine and hair follicle cloning

5. Cells and extracellular vesicles

o Procedures that induce activation of hair follicle cells using extracellular vesicles derived from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are being studied in Korea and abroad.

2. Organoids and 3D bioprinting

o Methods are being tried that recreate hair follicle structures in the laboratory and transplant them into patients to grow completely new hair.

o Unlike conventional hair transplantation, if a patient’s cells can be cultured indefinitely, the problem of limited donor hair can be solved, and this is viewed as a step closer to a definitive treatment.

3. Current status of hair follicle cloning research

o Not only research teams in the U.S., Japan, and Europe (such as Stemson Therapeutics, TissUse, and RIKEN), but also domestic research groups are achieving positive results at the animal and preclinical stages.

o If hair follicle cloning is commercialized, it is expected to bring innovation to the hair transplant market by allowing unlimited supply of new hair even for patients who lack donor hair.

5. The evolution of laser/light therapy and digital healthcare

6. From conventional LLLT and LED to new lasers

o In the past, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and LEDs were mainly used to improve scalp blood flow and activate cellular metabolism.

o Recently, next-generation laser research has been underway, combining new wavelengths and fractional laser methods to act more directly on hair follicle cells or suppress inflammatory factors.

o Some medical device companies are planning AI-based personalized laser treatments and developing solutions that scan a patient’s scalp and hair condition in real time and automatically set the optimal wavelength and output to maximize treatment effects.

2. Digital healthcare and personalized monitoring

o Through mobile apps or smart devices, people are increasingly taking periodic photos of scalp and hair conditions and receiving AI analysis, which allows hair loss progression to be tracked scientifically and treatment efficiency to be improved.

o Domestic pharmaceutical companies such as Chong Kun Dang and JW Pharmaceutical are also showing interest in diagnostic devices and app development,

and are moving toward building healthcare platforms linked with genetic analysis in the future.

6. Gene editing and personalized hair loss treatment

7. Gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR

o Research continues to fundamentally modify specific genes or signaling pathways that cause androgenetic alopecia, aiming for a long-term “permanent” solution.

o Although many studies are still at the animal experiment and preclinical stages, some view clinical application within 10 years optimistically.

2. Personalized genetic information analysis

o The era will open in which an individual’s genetic susceptibility and hormonal characteristics are identified in advance, and the most suitable combination of drugs and procedures is selected.

o Domestic pharmaceutical companies such as CKD and JW Pharmaceutical are actively moving into gene-analysis-based new drug development, while announcing business plans linked to personalized diagnostic and treatment kits.

Thoughts on the future of hair loss treatment

While further improving existing 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and minoxidil, diverse approaches such as antibody therapy, RNA interference, hair follicle cloning, and gene editing are being pursued.

In Korea, companies such as Chong Kun Dang, JW Pharmaceutical, BiOnica, OligoX, Epibiotech, and Inventage Lab have active pipelines and are entering the global competition for hair loss treatment.

after 10 years, it is expected that an era will open in which treatment can be optimized according to each person’s genes, hormones, and lifestyle to increase efficacy, minimize side effects, and even overcome the shortage of donor hair.

It is now time for hairhair, Kim Jin-oh.

A new head of hair must be born.

References and official materials

1. Sinclair, R. et al. (2019). Oral minoxidil in the management of hair disorders: A review of the literature. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 81(1), 234–241.

2. Dai, Y. X. et al. (2017). Alopecia areata. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 3, 17011.

3. Zhang, B. et al. (2021). Role of Exosomes in Hair Regeneration. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(12), 6599.

4. Avram, M. R., & Rogers, N. (2009). The use of low-level light for hair growth: A review. Dermatologic Surgery, 35(8), 1109–1116.

5. Nestor, M. S., Ablon, G., Gade, A., Han, H., & Fischer, D. L. (2020). Efficacy and safety of a low-level laser device in the treatment of pattern hair loss: A randomized, double-blind, sham device-controlled trial. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 22(3), 135–140.

6. Park, K. Y., Li, K., & Seo, S. J. (2015). Fractional photothermolysis laser treatment for alopecia: A pilot study. Lasers in Medical Science, 30(4), 1593–1598.

[In accordance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act, this post is written directly by a board-certified plastic surgeon for informational purposes. Hair loss surgery and treatment may have side effects, so please make a careful decision after consulting with a specialist.]