544 | id == 544
544 | category_id == 30
544 | category_order == 27
544 | category_name == Hair Loss
544 | category_color == #C47AC0
544 | slug == BCL2-male-pattern-baldness
544 | title == The Relationship Between a Cell Death Regulator & Male-Pattern Baldness (BCL2)
544 | meta_description == BCL2 helps promote cell survival. Variants of BCL2 have been associated with male-pattern baldness. Read more here.
544 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong><em>BCL2</em> codes for a protein that may help promote cell survival and thus, protect against hair loss. Read more to find out how variants of <em>BCL2</em> may induce male-pattern baldness.</strong></p>
544 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on BCL2 gene)
544 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/BCL2-Male-pattern-baldness.jpg
544 | author_id == 14
544 | author_name == Shany Lahan
544 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
544 | author_order == 5
544 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
544 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
544 | reviewer == None
544 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
544 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
544 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
544 | publish_date == 2020
544 | publish_date == 12
544 | publish_date == 14
544 | avg_rating == 5.0
544 | tags_id == 216
544 | tags_name == Apoptosis
544 | tags_id == 812
544 | tags_name == Bcl-2
544 | tags_id == 214
544 | tags_name == BCL2 Gene
544 | tags_id == 768
544 | tags_name == Cell Death
544 | tags_id == 1032
544 | tags_name == Hair Follicle
544 | tags_id == 1033
544 | tags_name == Hair Growth Cycle
544 | tags_id == 1029
544 | tags_name == Hair Loss
544 | tags_id == 1028
544 | tags_name == Male-Pattern Baldness
544 | permissions_favorite == False
544 | permissions_rate == False
544 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BCL2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">codes for a protein that promotes hair growth by preventing cell death. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BCL2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in male-pattern baldness by dysregulating the production of bcl-2. Lifestyle and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by slightly increasing or preventing a decrease in bcl-2 production. </span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>BCL2</em></strong><strong> and Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/bcl2/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BCL2</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene codes for B cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2), a protein that promotes the survival of cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/596"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bcl-2 may be essential for regulating the hair growth cycle, in which hair grows within a follicle, detaches from the follicle, and falls out. Cell growth and expansion (proliferation) and cell death must remain balanced in order for this cycle to be maintained [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470321/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In line with this, bcl-2 production has been reported to be increased during hair growth and decreased during hair detachment [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10674380/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interestingly, mice that lack bcl-2 experience slower rates of hair growth, while mice that produce excess bcl-2 experience accelerated hair loss -- suggesting that bcl-2 must remain balanced for normal hair cycling [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10674380/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BCL2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with male-pattern baldness. These variants may dysregulate the production of bcl-2, resulting in hair cycle perturbation</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07862-y"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>BCL2</em></strong><strong> Results for Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*2224986638984953*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>BCL2 </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs12457893/"><strong>rs12457893</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07862-y"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Higher odds of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with male-pattern baldness</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Other Important SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>BCL2 </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs7226979/"><strong>rs7226979</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Higher odds of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with male-pattern baldness</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*1432833788992198*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Managing Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*2119206525055927*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s important to keep bcl-2 balanced in the body. While both high and low amounts of bcl-2 have been linked to hair loss, high amounts of bcl-2 have been linked to uncontrolled growth and division of abnormal cells (cancer) and low amounts of bcl-2 may promote unwanted cell death.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The recommendations listed below may lower or not affect cancer risk, despite some of them having been shown to slightly increase bcl-2. However, it&rsquo;s important to speak with your doctor before making any significant changes to your lifestyle, diet, or supplements -- especially if you may be at increased risk of cancer.&nbsp;</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Avoid Cigarettes</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cigarettes have been shown to decrease the production of bcl-2, thereby promoting cell death [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29372523/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30742351/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29894801/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies have associated smoking with an approximately 2-fold increased risk of male-pattern baldness. Cigarette smoke may cause oxidative and inflammatory damage in the hair follicles, impair hair growth, and reduce female sex hormone levels. A study found that the combination of smoking with being overweight increased male-pattern baldness severity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12673073/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28555720/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18025364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32946667/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23629119/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Cigarettes may decrease production of bcl-2. Avoiding cigarettes may help prevent male-pattern baldness by avoiding a decrease in bcl-2 and promoting cell survival.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>L-Carnitine</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple studies have demonstrated that L-</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/carnitine-top-18-science-based-health-effects-carnitine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">carnitine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may prevent cell death by increasing the production of bcl-2 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31568849/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27064025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27569824/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Indeed, in a trial of men and women with hair loss caused by male sex hormones, topical application of a solution with 2% L-carnitine for 6 months increased hair density and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase. L-carnitine promoted hair follicle cell growth while preventing their death [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17804203/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17927577/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a trial of men and women with signs of hair loss, two similar commercial solutions containing L-carnitine, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/gamma-linolenic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gamma-linolenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and a compound from soybean (equol) increased both hair count and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase after 1-6 months of application [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30371981/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">L-carnitine may help manage male-pattern baldness by increasing the production of bcl-2, preventing cell death, and promoting hair follicle cell growth.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Saw Palmetto</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of mice with hair loss,</span> <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/benefits-saw-palmetto/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">saw palmetto</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> extract promoted hair regrowth and elevated hair density, weight, and thickness by increasing the production of bcl-2 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29949176/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 3 studies of men with male-pattern baldness, topical saw palmetto products applied for up to 2 years increased hair growth without major adverse effects [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23298508/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26010505/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5281/3fbf018bd6a9570728ddd91fb333bf48062a.pdf?_ga=2.93495770.614503501.1605526785-1500133526.1595847459"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a small trial of men with male-pattern baldness, oral capsules with saw palmetto extract and beta-sitosterol improved hair density in 60% of those who took them [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12006122/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Saw palmetto may help manage male-pattern baldness by increasing the production of bcl-2 and promoting hair regrowth.</span></p>
544 | content_snp_table_2224986638984953_key == 2224986638984953
544 | content_snp_table_2224986638984953_blur == True
544 | content_snp_table_2224986638984953_hidden == False
544 | content_learn_more_1432833788992198_key == 1432833788992198
544 | content_learn_more_1432833788992198_blur == True
544 | content_learn_more_1432833788992198_hidden == False
544 | content_learn_more_1432833788992198_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your BCL2 gene makes you somewhat more likely to experience male-pattern baldness. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of male-pattern baldness; it’s just one gene related to it. Avoiding cigarettes, taking L-carnitine supplements, and taking saw palmetto supplements may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
544 | content_recommendation_2119206525055927_key == 2119206525055927
544 | content_recommendation_2119206525055927_blur == True
544 | content_recommendation_2119206525055927_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs7226979,rs12457893
rsStatus = rs7226979,BCL2,chr18,63257737,C,A,G,T,25,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs12457893,BCL2,chr18,63258928,A,C,T,,15,13,HET
