Prof Sinclair discovered that people with the auto-immune disease alOpecia areata had reduced amounts of fat under their bald patches.
His work coincided with Prof Watt's research into chemicals released by hair follicles.
"What we have done is show that chemicals released by the hair alter the fat underneath. They can cause it to increase or decrease," he says.
"This is the first demonstration that the skin below the hair follicle can regulate the development of fat."
The idea is that you could use a cream to shrink stubborn bits of fat on a person, he says.
It could also lead to treatments for pattern baldness and alopecia.
"My personal interest is in hair. How the findings are applied to fighting obesity will be up to others to some degree," says Prof Sinclair.
- AAP