Have you ever looked at members of your family and wondered how you experience hair loss? Can you trace your genetics back to the person who may have passed this condition to you? Perhaps you’re stumped if your dad has a full head of hair and it can be confusing if the only person in your family you can trace with hair loss is your mum’s dad! Hair loss and genetics
You’ll be surprised to know however, that until recently it has been believed that the only genetic association with male pattern baldness known, was a variant on the female X chromosome and this risk factor is passed down by the mother’s side of the family. This can explain why male-pattern baldness can be passed on through the maternal grandfather.
Hair Loss and Genetics: The Latest Findings
However, another genetic link to hair loss has been revealed which might explain why many men can also inherit hair loss from their fathers.
Now it’s believed that two altered regions of DNA on one of the chromosomes responsible for the genes responsible for more than sevenfold increased risk of male pattern baldness. The nature of these variants is still a mystery but one of them may indeed influence male hormone activity through a gene. This could now explain how male-pattern baldness can be passed from father to son.
The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline recently sponsored a group of esteemed doctors from Switzerland, Iceland and the Netherlands to carry out an international genetic study of 1125 Caucasian men. Inherited male pattern baldness was found to be closely associated with variations at two locations on chromosome 20 – one of the bundles of DNA in every cell which contains genes inherited from either the mother or the father. In short, if you have a variant on chromosome 20 as well as the known variant on the X chromosome, your risk of becoming bald increases by seven times!
Hair Loss and Genetics: Your Solutions
Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss and estimates suggest that more than 80% of cases of male pattern baldness are hereditary with an estimated 14% of men thought to carry the two, chromosome 20 variants!
So, who could be responsible for your hair loss now!?
No matter what your genetics, at YourHairDoc, we understand that hair loss can cause emotional upset and embarrassment and have a wide-range of proven surgical and non-surgical treatments to help you. Simply call our team on 0208 418 0362 to find out more.
