• Question: Is stuff like being bald and having eczema genetically transferred?

    Asked by AnimalLover to Stéphane on 14 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Stéphane Berneau

      Stéphane Berneau answered on 14 Mar 2018:


      Many people believe hair loss is passed down on the mother’s side.
      While it’s true a key gene for baldness is on the X chromosome, which you get from your mother, it is not the only genetic factor in play since men with bald fathers have an increased chance of going bald when compared to men whose fathers have a full set of hair.
      While twin studies have confirmed male pattern baldness to be genetically determined, scientists say baldness anywhere in your family may be a sign of your own impending fate.
      The most common form of hair loss is the result of your body becoming increasingly sensitive to androgens, a type of male sex hormone.
      Baldness is link to lifestyles also.

      For eczema, it is way more complicated: eczema is a multifactorial skin disease caused by a variety of factors such as genetic conditions, alterated skin structure, immunologic deviations and environmental factors.

      You can often find something genetic but the environment is the key to lock the gene or not.

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