Genetic test can forecast bald facts about each man’s future

One man in seven has a genetic profile that will raise dramatically his chances of going bald at a young age, according to research that could lead to new ways of predicting and preventing hair loss.

Men who inherit two particular genetic variants are seven times more likely to develop male pattern baldness by their forties than those who carry neither, a British-led team has found.

The discovery, from the first study to trawl the human genome for passages of DNA linked to baldness, will allow young men to discover with much greater accuracy whether and when they are likely to lose their hair.


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Some may then wish to try drugs such as finasteride (marketed as Propecia), which can delay, stop or even reverse baldness, while they still possess luxuriant locks.

The research should also assist the development of new treatments. Professor Tim Spector, of King’s College London, who led the study, said: “Early prediction before hair loss starts may lead to some interesting therapies that are more effective than treating late-stage hair loss. It will encourage pharmaceutical companies to produce preventive lotions that might stimulate hair follicles before it’s too late.”

Brent Richards, of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who contributed to the research, said: “We’ve only identified a cause. Treating male pattern baldness will require more research. But, of course, the first step in finding a way to treat most conditions is to identify the cause.”