Scientists Discovered the Cure for Balding—and It’s Hiding Beneath Your Feet
19th July 2026
For centuries, we’ve been covering thinning locks with wigs, and more recently started grabbing at regrowth with hair plugs, topical ointments, and oral treatments. But it turns out the simplest, or rather the most natural, solution might be key to keeping your mop—and it’s been hiding beneath our feet the whole time.
In a December 2025 scientific review, a team of researchers from across China found that an ancient Chinese medicinal root could be the titan that stops balding in its tracks—not only by slowing hair loss, but also by encouraging regrowth. Perhaps even more shocking, the findings are also reshaping history, as they imply that scientific understanding was more advanced than previously believed. The paper was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Holistic Integrative Pharmacy.
The team focused on a root known as the Polygonum multiflorum. Also known as the Chinese climbing knotweed or Fo Ti, practitioners have historically used the root for hair loss and hair graying, tuberculosis, erectile dysfunction, as well as for a myriad of other conditions. Fo Ti is native to China, though people have cultivated it elsewhere, including in the United States. Traditionally, Fo Ti is prepared before use, often in teas, tonics, ointments, or pills.