For some men baldness is a curse, while for others it is a cool and even sexy look. However, the exact reasons why men go bald have been unclear until now. Experts now believe they have found the cause of male pattern baldness.

This could be a very important breakthrough for the millions of men around the world with receding hairlines. Those looking to grow back their hair will take heart that the team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania believe it may be possible to cure male baldness.

Baldness is essentially caused not by a lack of hair but by a problem with new hair that is made. For some men this hair is so small that it is invisible to the naked eye giving the impression of a receding hairline or bald spot.

The fault here lies with the stem cells that make new hair, so by restoring the normal function of these cells it may be possible to cure baldness, or so the US team of scientists hope. Their vision is to produce a cream that can be rubbed on to the scalp, which will then hopefully help the cells to grow normal hair again.

The team of experts believe this should be possible because bald men still have the same number of stem cells in the scalp as those with a full head of hair. The difference in bald men is that the cells do not mature in the same way, hence the lack of apparent hair growth.

It is thought that the male hormone testosterone is an important part of the issue and experts say that baldness is also a hereditary problem. Whilst a cure is sought, wig manufacturers can rest easy that their products will still be needed by some men.