BOCA RATON, Fla. – A new type of test may help some of the millions of Americans dealing with hair loss better understand what therapies ay actually work for them.
Hair loss specialist Dr. Alan Bauman said it’s part of the field of pharmogenetics, in other words, using DNA testing for the hair.
“The genetic test for hair loss, looks at 16 different Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), which are the genes that we carry that can determine our susceptibility to hair loss as well as our response to treatment,” Bauman said.
The results can reveal whether people will respond well to or even need topical medications like minoxydil, or benefit from prescription oral medications or over the counter supplements.
Separately, researchers have developed a mathematical model that can predict the optimum exercise regimen to building muscle.
The model can tell how much a specific level of exertion will cause a muscle to grow and how long it will take.
It can also address the problem of muscle atrophy.
Eventually the researchers at the University of Cambridge hope to create user friendly software to guide individualized exercise routines for specific fitness goals.