Blame your `hairless` gene for your baldness

Researchers have identified the reason behind people losing their hair. This newly discovered molecular function likely explains why mutations in the hairless gene contribute to the pathogenesis of atrichia with papular lesions. In addition, this gene also has also been shown to function as a tumor suppressor gene in the skin, raising hope for developing new approaches in the treatment of skin disorders and/or some cancers.

To make their discovery, Angela M. Christiano, Ph.D., FACMG, a researcher involved in the work from the Departments of Dermatology and Genetics and Development at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, NY, and colleagues defined the histone demethylase function of the human hairless gene, both in vitro and using cultured human cells. When the hairless protein was mixed with specific histone substrates under defined reaction conditions, the hairless protein causes a reduction in the level of methylation modification of the histone substrates. (Read: 20 treatments for hair loss (Gallery))

Similarly, upon expression of normal hairless protein, but not a mutant form of the hairless protein, researchers observed a drastic loss of histone methylation in human cells. This suggests that this may be the "on/off" switch for hair growth as well as a promising target for some types of skin disease. (Read: Prevent hair loss with these 5 home-made vegetable packs (Gallery))

The study has been published in the The FASEB Journal.

What is hair loss?

There are various kinds of hair loss including natural hair loss (involutional alopecia), temporary hair loss (telogen effluvium), male or female pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia), patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), etc. The average scalp contains about 100,000 to 150,000 hair. The normal hair life cycle lasts for two to three years. At any given point of time, about 90% of the hair on your scalp is growing and about 10% of the hair is in a resting phase. After two to three months, the resting hair is shed and new hair starts to grow in its place.

There are various reasons for hair loss including hormonal deficiencies, diseases, deficiency in diet and medications or treatments like chemotherapy and psychological issues like stress and depression. There arevarious treatments for hair loss traditional methods, pills, hormonal modifications and even surgical options like hair transplants.

Hair loss is not just due to external factors like dandruff, sun exposure and so on. It is also a result of an unhealthy diet. When you deprive your body of essential nutrients, many of which are needed for normal hair growth, you are likely to suffer from hair fall. (Read: Revealed expert tips to prevent hair loss)

With inputs from IANS

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