Apparently, McDonald’s Fries Can Cure Hair Loss and Balding, Finds New Study

French fries, Junk food, Fast food, Fried food, Side dish, Food, Kids' meal, Dish, Cuisine, American food, — (Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s 2018, and news is rarely happy anymore. But today, we bring you possibly the best news to ever exist, which is that scientists—real, live scientists with degrees from fancy places—have determined that McDonald’s French fries could cure your every sadness and ailment. Oh, and also hair loss.

French fries, Hand, Fast food, Fried food, Snack, Side dish, Finger, Junk food, Gesture,

According to a study conducted by researchers at Yokohama National University in Japan, McDonald’s fries could be the next big treatment in premature balding. Though we’d love to say that it’s a byproduct of the potatoes themselves, the magic actually comes from the chemical dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone-based agent that’s added to the cooking oil to keep it from frothing.

In the study, released in Biomaterials journal, researchers transplanted silicone chips laced with thousands of hair follicle germs (HFGs, which simulate real hair follicles) into the backs of mice (erg, yeah—nobody said science was friendly) and found that it stimulated follicle rejuvenation in which hair could potentially grow. So no, it didn't topically regrow hair, but it did show potential in regrowing shut-down hair follicles, which is still major

So before you ask to dunk your hair into a vat of oil, please be aware that this study, although promising, has only been tested on animals, which, as a reminder, are not humans. Still, the medical community is pretty lit right now, because these findings could mean major things for regenerative hair therapy, like male pattern baldness.

But until then, may we recommend a really excellent hair-thickening product, like this drugstore foam that regrew a woman’s thinning hair in six weeks? Don’t worry; you can still get an order of fries, too.

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

This Drugstore Foam Literally Grows Your Hair

Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.

Science—Yes, Science—Finds That McDonald’s Fries Can Cure Your Hair Loss

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