MEN are more likely to go bald if their ring fingers are longer than their index digits, scientists have discovered.
They reckon the extra length on the right hand is linked to a six-fold increased risk of male pattern baldness.
Digital Vision – GettyWhite British men have a 50 per cent chance of losing their hair by their 40s and 80 per cent by the age of 80[/caption]
Experts suggest men are more likely to go bald if their ring fingers are longer than their index digits
Experts think it may be a sign of high testosterone, which can also shrink hair follicles — and it might have started in the womb.
Their study measured the hands of 240 men aged over 37 who were diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia — known as male pattern baldness.
Lead researcher Dr Ching-Ying Wu, of Kaohsiung Medical University, in Taiwan, said: “Our study found that the lower the right-hand second digit to fourth digit ratio, the greater the risk of developing alopecia.”
White British men have a 50 per cent chance of losing their hair by their 40s and 80 per cent by the age of 80.
A bigger ring finger could also be a sign of high testosterone exposure in the womb, experts say.
Levels of the sex hormone absorbed before birth can also have an impact on heart health, sperm count and the chances of autism — as well as the development of hair follicles.