Exciting Stepping Stone on the Hair Loss Research Front
The journal Nature Genetics announced that scientists at McGill University, King’s College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. have discovered two genetic variants in Caucasians that together increase the risk sevenfold of male pattern baldness. The study tested a total of 2,775 Caucasian men experiencing male pattern baldness and found that these previously unknown genetic variants on chromosome 20 greatly increase the risk for hair loss.
While this research does not present a plausible cure for hair loss, it is a starting point. Identifying the cause of a problem always helps the search for a solution.
Nearly one third of men are affected by male pattern baldness, the most common form of baldness by age 45. Considering the social and economic impact of hair loss, this is an exciting breakthrough in the quest for answers as to why male pattern baldness occurs.
We have opened a new door to discover the genetic cause of male pattern hair loss, though a cure for hair loss is still many years away. In the meantime, I must stress to hair loss sufferers that it is imperative to use all current proven and effective means to maintain their current hair status and to re-grow their hair. These include Propecia, Laser Therapy, and Rogaine Foam.
Of course, the gold standard in hair loss treatment is hair transplantation, the premier solution to baldness.
– Doc