It’s a great time to be alive! Exciting new developments in the field of hair loss and growth is being driven by genome-wide research, including user-participation studies and polls. This new generation of information, like most science before it, has prior decades of data to thank for it. One data block builds off the next and so on.
In the same way the airplane could not have been invented without a combustion engine built decades before, hair research would not be where it is today without microscopes, trial and error, scientists and a lot of hypotheses to test. Experiments involving T cells, antibodies, cell infiltration, and pathogenesis are all part of the evolution of research. The results would help direct the path of the next set of tests for the next generation.
One of the more public-facing companies collecting data is 23andMe. Most would agree they do a great job of collecting enough data to give scientists ways to find patterns in our genetic makeup for all kinds of health and wellness issues. The discovered results are then given back to individual users in statistical/likelihood models, and with polygenic risk scores (your odds of developing certain health conditions.)
For example, if 1 million other people with a similar genetic makeup as yourself reported that they have very dry skin, your report will show you have an increased likelihood of having dry skin as well. They are careful to mention that external factors also play large roles (think climate, a person’s age and gender, etc.) The science is presented in layman’s terms and is very easy to read. Here is an example of how data is presented for a hair-related topic:
“Widow’s peak –
Pointed hairlines originally earned the name ‘widow’s peak’ because they resembled the shape of a hat Victorian women wore in mourning.
How age changes hairline shape
Children usually start out with a smooth, flat hairline. Starting in adolescence, many people’s hairlines begin to recede. In people with a widow’s peak, the hairline recedes everywhere except a small point at the center of the forehead. With more time, some people also start to thin at the temples. This can create a hairline similar to a widow’s peak.”
*23andMe
This is followed by a report that includes your likelihood to have a widow’s peak per your DNA test and their research of similar genetic markers in others. While some of the tests involve finding likelihood factors for serious illnesses, others can feel trivial like the likelihood you will have an aversion to cilantro or the likelihood of your index toe being larger than your big toe.
And here is how they tackle informing users about an issue we’re familiar with at Advanced Medical Hair Institute:
“Early Hair Loss –
The life cycle of hair follicles
We are born with five million hair follicles covering the entire body, about 100,000-150,000 of them are on the scalp. Follicles cycle through growth phases that correspond to hair length. Eyebrow follicles have growth phases of about one year, while scalp follicles have growth phases lasting up to eight years. As we age, our scalp follicles age, too. They shrink in size, produce thinner hair and ultimately retire. The timing and rate of this shift is largely determined by your genetics.
Hormones play a role
The fact that hair loss is more common in males suggests that testosterone is involved. Scalp follicles differ from those on other parts of the body (like eyebrows) in how they respond to testosterone. This means that high, or low, testosterone levels do not cause hair loss directly. Instead, it is determined by how each follicle responds to testosterone and other molecules produced when testosterone is broken down.”
*23andMe
Why is this all important? It marks one of the first times in history on a massive scale that we have collectively agreed to be looked at under the microscope, so to speak, in order to help identify health risks or the need to be screened when we might otherwise have not been. Hair loss, diabetes, cancers, minor and major disorders or tendencies have occurred all throughout history. Why not use information from our own generations to fuel solutions now?
If we can continue to move forward in our cooperation and input, there’s no telling what we can accomplish. And until the day comes when we’ve figured out exactly how to grow overnight hair like a Chia Pet, we here at Advanced Medical Hair Institute are ready to help you figure out today’s hair issues you may be experiencing. Schedule a consultation to find about more about our hair restoration procedures.
