Tastebuds found in hair follicles could one day lead to new treatments for unwanted hair.
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Scientists say adding a common sweetener to taste receptors in hair follicles appears to prevent hair growth in laboratory tests.
It is hoped the new finding could one day lead to a new "drug-free" treatment for unwanted hair.
A study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, examined taste receptors in hair follicles.
Tastebuds are most commonly associated with detecting flavours in the mouth, but these receptors also have other functions throughout the body - including helping to regulate the immune system, metabolism and reproduction.
Researchers found human scalp hair follicles, the tiny "biofactories" that produce hair, have a fully functional bitter taste receptor called TAS2R4.
They found this receptor can be stimulated with a natural sweetener called rebaudioside A (Reb A), which is extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant - also known as the candyleaf plant.
This appeared to suppress the growth of human scalp hair follicles in laboratory conditions.
This occurred through a reduction in cell division in their hair follicle and the stimulation of a "potent growth factor known to stop hair growth".
"Our study introduces an innovative drug-free strategy for how we may be able to suppress unwanted hair growth in the future," the authors from Germany and the US wrote.
"Despite the name, and their historical association with tastebuds, taste receptors crop up in unexpected places." said study lead author Professor Ralf Paus of the University of Miami.
"These findings identify specific taste receptors in human hair follicles, demonstrate they are active, and that they can be triggered to control hair growth."
Professor John McGrath, editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Dermatology, said the study results were promising.
"We don't know for sure that activating these taste receptors in hair follicles could reduce hair growth in people - but it's the type of research that could one day lead to a new type of hair removal product," he said.
"So far, the research has been conducted on donated human scalp skin from hair transplant and facelift patients - an important step will be to see if the findings can be repeated in clinical trials on humans rather than just isolated hair follicles."
Australian Associated Press
