Your Genes And Hair Loss
The most common form of hair loss is androgenic alopecia, otherwise known as male or female pattern baldness. This form of hair loss is also hereditary and can come from anyone who is directly related to you. Either your mom and/or dad, grandma, grandpa, and even uncles and aunts. So unfortunately for you, if you have anyone in your family who suffers from hair loss, there is a good chance that it is in your genetic makeup.
It is impossible to tell for sure at what rate you will end up losing your hair if you have androgenic alopecia. This is based on how strong that specific gene is for you. The good news is that remarkable advancements have been made and continue to be made in this particular field of science.
Although the hope of being able to treat gene-specific conditions using gene manipulation has yet to be perfected, science has been able to make some great advancements in being able to understand the “genetic code”. But unfortunately, even though we have been able to make good sense of man’s genetic code, we still have not discovered a way to manipulate genes to prevent disease or treat conditions such as androgenic alopecia.
The hope is that one day all of those afflictions that “run in the family” will be able to be treated using gene manipulation. But we are not there yet. This isn’t limited to just male or female pattern baldness. The following are some other forms of hair loss that are directly linked to your genes:
Alopecia Areata
An auto-immune disease that can cause patches of hair loss. This has been shown to have similar patterns to other inherited traits and can be linked to gene mutations and/or gene/environmental interactions as some of the underlying cause of this disorder. This hair loss is most times temporary.
Congenital Alopecia
A pattern of inherited genes that causes either total or partial hair loss that begins at birth.
Hypotrichosis
Often found in association with other afflictions that cause some form of mental disabilities or physical impairment. This causes the hair to be very sparse as well as brittle and often times lacking pigmentation.
Circumscribed Alopecia
A form of hair loss that basically “goes around” an area. This results in a patchy looking scalp that is missing hair only in specific areas. These areas of hair loss are usually directly related to some kind of skin disease. Similar patterns in the family is common with these conditions.
Overall Condition of Hair
Your hair colour, texture, and basically overall health are all directly linked to your hereditary genes. If your parents both have blonde hair, you will most likely have blonde hair. If they both have fine hair, you will most likely have fine hair. I am sure you understand how this works. So if you are unhappy with your hair, just blame your mom and dad.
So far, none of these gene-related conditions can be “cured”, but they can all be treated. If you suffer from any kind of hair loss, it is important to at least set up a consultation and get some advice, if nothing else.
