The chances of going bald have been uncovered by a study involving more than 52,000 men.

The research has discovered the genetics underlying male pattern baldness.

Scientists found genetic markers that help predict the odds of a man losing his hair.

And the findings could provide possible targets for drug development to treat baldness, according to the researchers.

The genomic study of baldness identified more than 200 genetic regions involved in the common - but potentially embarrassing - condition.

The genetic variants could be used to predict a man's chance of severe hair loss, according to the researchers.

Before the new study, by researchers at Edinburgh University and published in the journal PLOS Genetics, only a handful of genes related to baldness had been identified.

The Edinburgh scientists examined genomic and health data from more than 52,000 male participants of the UK Biobank, performing a genome-wide association study of baldness.

They pinpointed 287 genetic regions linked to the condition.

The researchers created a formula to try and predict the chance that a person will go bald, based on the presence or absence of certain genetic markers.

Accurate predictions for an individual are still some way off, but the research team say their results can help to identify sub-groups of the population for which the risk of hair loss is much higher.

The study is the largest genetic analysis of male pattern baldness to date.

Many of the identified genes are related to hair structure and development.

Study joint leader Saskia Hagenaars, a PhD student at Edinburgh University's Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, said: "We identified hundreds of new genetic signals.

"It was interesting to find that many of the genetics signals for male pattern baldness came from the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers."

Dr David Hill, who co-led the research, said: "In this study, data were collected on hair loss pattern but not age of onset; we would expect to see an even stronger genetic signal if we were able to identify those with early-onset hair loss."

The study's principal investigator, Dr Riccardo Marioni, added: "We are still a long way from making an accurate prediction for an individual's hair loss pattern.

"However, these results take us one step closer. The findings pave the way for an improved understanding of the genetic causes of hair loss."