The study, published in Nature Genetics, identified the gene responsible for Hypotrichosis simplex -- an inherited condition that affects both men and women who begin to go bald during childhood.

"Although Hypotrichosis simplex is very uncommon, it may prove critical in our search for an understanding of the mechanisms of hair growth," study leader Dr. Regina Betz of the University of Bonn's Institute of Human Genetics said in a statement.

The cause of Hypotrichosis simplex examined in this project is a genetic defect that prevents certain receptor structures on the surface of hair follicle cells from being correctly formed, Betz said.

Messengers bind to these receptors that trigger a chain reaction in the cell interior, which is apparently needed for the hair follicle to function normally. Such a receptor that plays a specific role in hair growth was previously unknown to scientists, Betz explained.