Atlas Protocol · Clinical Prevention

Atlas Hair Resilience

Polygenic read on hair-loss risk across 389 published risk loci -- the visible question, with the underlying androgen-signaling, metabolic, and cardiovascular biology surfaced alongside.

Atlas Hair Resilience reads the inherited factors that influence hair-loss risk over time, and the biology behind them. The 389 risk loci identified in published research connect hair-loss susceptibility to broader androgen-signaling, metabolic, and cardiovascular pathways. The result is a structured report that begins with the visible question -- will my hair change, and if so, how -- and surfaces the underlying biology that links hair to wider health.

WHAT THIS TEST ANSWERS

Questions this protocol answers.

  • Do I carry inherited variants that raise my risk of androgenetic hair loss?
  • Is my hair-loss biology likely to progress quickly, or remain stable?
  • How is my response to finasteride or minoxidil likely to be modified by my genotype?
Learn which 12 genes are analyzed

AR, EDA2R, SRD5A2, WNT10A, FGF5, EBF1, IRF4, HDAC9, TWIST1, TWIST2, DKK2, FZD10

GenDG §10

Bookable, after medical review.

Before the analysis, a specialist in human genetics reviews your preparation questionnaire and informs you (GenDG). If the test is declined, Atlas refunds the full amount.

HOW IT WORKS

How it works.

  1. 01

    Pay

    You pay Atlas for Atlas Baseline and the analysis.

  2. 02

    Questionnaire and physician review

    You receive a questionnaire by email from the physician's practice, and a specialist in human genetics reviews it. If the test is declined, you get a full automatic refund.

  3. 03

    Counselling slot

    You choose a counselling slot or join the waitlist.

  4. 04

    Consent, kit and result

    After the counselling you give your consent, then we ship your collection kit. The physician discusses the result with you.

WHICH PART OF YOUR BODY

Which part of your body.

  • Scalp and hair follicles
  • Androgen-signaling pathways (brain)
  • Liver (steroid metabolism)
  • Adrenal glands (DHEA and androgen precursors)
  • Skeletal muscle (shared expression)
WHAT THIS PANEL ANSWERS

What this panel answers.

Do you carry inherited variants and epigenetic signatures that raise your risk of androgenetic hair loss, accelerate its progression, or modify your response to standard treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil?

WHAT CHANGES IF A FINDING IS IDENTIFIED

What changes if something is found.

  1. A high polygenic risk score for early-onset androgenetic hair loss can inform earlier consultation with a dermatologist or hair-specialist physician, before clinically visible thinning begins.
  2. Variants at SRD5A2, the gene encoding the target enzyme of finasteride, can inform a physician's assessment of whether standard pharmacological intervention is likely to be effective for you.
  3. If you separately hold Atlas Trace, epigenetic trajectory signals from longitudinal measurements can indicate whether lifestyle factors (stress, sleep, nutrition, smoking, ultraviolet exposure) are accelerating or stabilizing your hair-relevant biology over time. Trace is not included in this protocol.
  4. Hair-loss genetics are correlated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and prostate health. A strong hair-loss signal can prompt earlier attention to related health domains and a broader Atlas Clinical Prevention review.
Pathway references
  • GenDG §9
GENES ANALYZED

What is analyzed.

Atlas Hair Resilience reads the inherited factors that influence hair-loss risk from your Atlas Baseline whole-genome data. The polygenic score spans 389 published hair-loss risk loci. Named major contributors are surfaced below; the full 389-locus set is computed at report time.

Hair Resilience (polygenic + epigenetic)

389 risk loci

Polygenic risk reading across 389 published hair-loss risk loci, with named major contributors shown below. The score combines inherited variants -- on the X chromosome (AR / EDA2R) and across the autosomes (SRD5A2, WNT10A, FGF5, and many more). The full 389-locus set is computed at report time from your Atlas Baseline data. If you separately hold Atlas Trace, the report additionally reads methylation signal at hair-relevant gene regions; Trace is not part of this protocol.

Clinical areas covered
  • Androgenetic hair loss -- onset, progression, treatment response
  • Androgen signaling and steroid metabolism
  • Cardiovascular and metabolic biology linked to hair-loss genetics
  • Prostate health pleiotropy
Analyzed genes -- 389 risk loci
  • AR
  • EDA2R
  • SRD5A2
  • WNT10A
  • FGF5
  • EBF1
  • IRF4
  • HDAC9
  • TWIST1
  • TWIST2
  • DKK2
  • FZD10
Limitations
  • Individual-level hair-loss prediction remains limited even with comprehensive genetic data. The strongest current models achieve approximately 73% to 83% accuracy depending on severity and age of onset. A high polygenic score indicates increased risk but does not guarantee progression; a low score does not eliminate it.

Polygenic locus set per Henne SK, Nöthen MM, Heilmann-Heimbach S. Male-pattern hair loss: Comprehensive identification of the associated genes as a basis for understanding pathophysiology. Med Genet. 2023;35(1):3-14. doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2003.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Why early knowledge matters.

  • Hair Resilience (polygenic + epigenetic)

    Hair loss is a visible entry point into deeper systemic biology. The 389 loci identified in published GWAS connect hair-loss susceptibility to androgen signaling, metabolic pathways, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and prostate health. A strong hair-loss signal is a reason to look earlier at related health domains -- not only at the scalp.

RESULT INTERPRETATION

How findings are reported.

Every Atlas predictive report uses the same five-outcome framework so you and your physician can read it the same way each time.

  1. 01

    Pathogenic variant

    Increased disease risk. The report includes an individualized prevention plan and a recommendation to discuss next steps with a physician or medical geneticist.

  2. 02

    Likely pathogenic variant

    Probable disease association. Preventive monitoring is typically justified; the strength of evidence is documented in the report.

  3. 03

    Variant of uncertain significance (VUS)

    Reported but not currently actionable. A VUS may be reclassified over time as new evidence accumulates -- Atlas does not act on VUS findings without specialist review.

  4. 04

    No relevant variant in this panel

    No pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant was identified in the analyzed genes. This does not eliminate all genetic risk -- only the genes in this panel were assessed.

  5. 05

    Family implications

    When an actionable variant is found, cascade testing of first-degree relatives is typically recommended -- a decision made together with a counselor.

Module-specific implications

  • Hair Resilience (polygenic + epigenetic)

    • A high polygenic risk score for early-onset androgenetic hair loss can inform earlier consultation with a dermatologist or hair-specialist physician, before clinically visible thinning begins.
    • Variants at SRD5A2, the gene encoding the target enzyme of finasteride, can inform a physician's assessment of whether standard pharmacological intervention is likely to be effective for you.
    • If you separately hold Atlas Trace, epigenetic trajectory signals from longitudinal measurements can indicate whether lifestyle factors (stress, sleep, nutrition, smoking, ultraviolet exposure) are accelerating or stabilizing your hair-relevant biology over time. Trace is not included in this protocol.
    • Hair-loss genetics correlate with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and prostate health -- a strong hair-loss signal can prompt earlier attention to related health domains and a broader Atlas Clinical Prevention review.
Counseling and cascade testing

Predictive genetic testing in Germany requires consultation with a physician qualified in human genetics under §7 of the GenDG (Arztvorbehalt). This counseling, before and after the test, is given by a specialist in human genetics. When an actionable finding has implications for relatives, this physician discusses cascade testing with you, not Atlas alone.

CLINICAL LIMITATIONS

What this test does not do.

  • Not a diagnosis of active disease

    A variant indicates predisposition. It does not confirm a condition is currently present.

  • Does not replace screening or routine care

    Imaging, lab work, and physical examination remain part of clinical care. Atlas results inform them; they do not substitute for them.

  • Not all risk is genetic

    Environment, behavior, age, and chance contribute to most common conditions. A genetic test reads one input.

  • A negative result does not eliminate risk

    Only the genes on the panel were analyzed. Variants in other genes, in non-coding regions, and outside the assay's technical scope are not assessed.

  • Clinical decisions remain with your physician

    Atlas reports are designed to be reviewed with a physician or medical geneticist. We do not recommend acting on a finding without that conversation.

GenDG §7

Predictive panels on this page are GenDG §7 Arztvorbehalt: counseling with a qualified human-genetics physician is required before and after the test. This counseling is given by a specialist in human genetics.

PRICING

Your hair, read from your Baseline data.

Atlas Hair Resilience reads your whole genome from Atlas Baseline. New to Atlas? You book Atlas Baseline and the analysis in one purchase. Already have Atlas Baseline? No new sample is needed.

See an example Atlas Hair Resilience report →
Atlas Hair Resilience
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SCIENTIFIC SOURCE

Henne SK, Nöthen MM, Heilmann-Heimbach S. Male-pattern hair loss: Comprehensive identification of the associated genes as a basis for understanding pathophysiology. Med Genet. 2023;35(1):3-14. doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2003.

Atlas Hair Resilience polygenic scoring is based on the published locus set cited above.

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