- Higher levels of testosterone in the womb linked to longer index finger
- Testosterone is the male hormone associated with hair loss
- Hair follicles develop at around the eighth week of pregnancy, the same time as the index finger
A newborn boy’s chances of going bald in later life can be predicted by the length of the fingers on his left hand, scientists claim.
Higher levels of testosterone – the male hormone associated with hair loss – in the womb are thought to result in a ring finger longer than the index finger.
Hair follicles develop at around the eighth week of pregnancy, which also sees a spike in testosterone levels. At the same time, fingers start to develop.
A newborn boy’s chances of going bald in later life can be predicted by the length of the fingers on his left hand, scientists claim
The theory is that testosterone affects growth of the ring finger, while the female hormone oestrogen stimulates the index finger.
‘We have shown that finger ratio can be used to estimate future hair loss,’ head researcher Dr Mehmet Unal wrote in the Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology.
But it is not all bad news for those with the larger ring finger. Previous research has linked it to greater ability at football, being better dancers, having good maths skills, possessing a high IQ and being better endowed.