Scientists have discovered how to reverse wrinkles and hair loss

Good news: The fountain of youth may be closer than you think. A new study has found a potential way to STOP skin from ageing, reversing wrinkles and hair loss in the process. Yep – this is really happening.

As reported by Newsweek, the new study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham found a way to turn off the gene that causes ageing in mice, smoothing their wrinkled skin and reversing hair loss. 

If you’re not up to scratch with your science knowledge, for some time researchers have suggested there is a link between ageing and mitochondrial DNA (read: DNA that gives your cells the energy to survive). On average, a human loses four copies of mitochondrial DNA every decade, which results in the physical signs of ageing (ahem, those pesky lines and grey hairs).

When scientists activated a mutation in mice that caused their mitochondrial function to decline, they started losing hair, getting grey hairs and developing wrinkles. But when the gene mutation was switched off, the researchers noticed an impressive reversal in these signs of ageing. To their surprise, the mice had a thick regrowth of hair and their skin appeared to be smooth.

"To our knowledge, this observation is unprecedented," said Keshav Singh, one of the lead researchers. "It suggests that epigenetic mechanisms underlying mitochondria-to-nucleus cross-talk must play an important role in the restoration of normal skin and hair phenotype."

In average-people terms, this is the first evidence that shows by restoring mitochondrial DNA it’s actually possible to reverse skin ageing and hair loss. Pretty groundbreaking stuff!

Not only does it give scientists a better idea of how we age, but it also opens the doors for the development of future treatments for hair and skin ageing. 

Good one, science. 

If you’re interested in getting a head start on halting your ageing game, check out the anti-ageing skin care ingredients you should know about.

Has this new research just made your day?! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Main image credit: Getty