A new study found some special genes linked to men losing their hair in a pattern. Two of these genes were not known before. This discovery might help create treatments that work better for each person.
A condition called male pattern hair loss, or MPHL, affects many men as they get older. It happens to around 30% to 50% of men by the time they’re 50 years old. Most of the time, it’s because of our genes. In this study, scientists wanted to learn more about these genes, especially the ones that are not very common.
The researchers, led by a hospital in Germany, looked at the genes of 72,469 men from the UK. They used special methods to find genes that are not very common, less than 1% of people have them. They found five of these rare genes: EDA2R, WNT10A, HEPH, CEPT1, and EIF3F. Some of these were already suspected to be important, but this study confirmed it. The scientists think these genes are connected to hair loss. Some are close to other genes known to be linked to hair loss. Others are new and not studied before. These new genes could be important for hair growth.
This study also suggests that genes connected to rare skin and hair diseases might have something to do with male pattern hair loss too. More research is needed to understand how all these genes work together.
The scientists hope that their findings will help create better treatments for men who have hair loss because of their genes. These treatments could be more personalized and work better for each person.
Image Source: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/sep/02/hair-today-gone-tomorrow