First Consumer-Friendly Genetic Analysis for Hair Loss in Men Being Introduced

Good news came on January 15, 2008 from HairDX, LLC. According to Business Wire, HairDX, which combines top researchers in genetic tests and high-tech hair therapies, is launching the first commercially-available test that will give male consumers a precise genetic analysis of their chances to develop androgenic alopecia - a widely spread condition of male-pattern baldness.

The company promises that this affordable and non-intrusive test will enable consumers to obtain accurate and easily understandable results.

The anonymous commercial analysis to determine a likehood of developing baldness in men later is life costs 149 USD. The test kit ordered directly from HairDX is shipped to the customer’s home. Upon the receipt of the kit, the test subject swabs the inside-of-the-mouth area and sends the swab back to the HairDX laboratory which performs a confidential and highly accurate genetic analysis related to androgenic alopecia. The results of the test then are promptly delivered to the customer.

The obtained results will allow the user to evaluate his genetic predisposition to developing baldness after the age of 40. The scientific value of this analysis is based on reliable clinical trials and peer-reviewed studies that link male alopecia to certain deviations in the X -chromosome. Those whose genetic test shows associated chromosome variations are 95-98 percent more likely to lose their scalp hair in their middle-age period.

Andy Goren of HairDX points out that young men annually spend considerable amounts of money on hair cosmetics, medication, and other costly products and treatments in order to “prevent” hair loss that might not occur in them at all, since male-pattern alopecia is genetically determined. Peter Novak, MD, PhD of the Worcester University of Massachusetts Medical Center, says that men’s androgenic alopecia is almost always caused by heredity mechanisms.

The test results provided by the company will allow male consumers to make well-informed decisions about their necessity in seeking and applying preliminary hair treatment and baldness prevention measures.

HairDX guarantees private, confidential services to its customers. The genetic analysis for baldness is to be conducted by BioServe, a Beltsville-based CLIA-certified laboratory and the leader in performing and processing of medical diagnostic tests.

Christiana Roberts