DNA tests check what genes you have, but doesn’t tell you if those genes are being used or not. Epigenetic tests look at markers that change how your genes are turned on or off – essentially checking what genes your body is putting to use.  Epigenetic testing can also show how your gene expression has changed over time, and can estimate current predispositions toward developing certain diseases, based on gene expression.  An easier analogy:  It’s like looking at a string of lights – a DNA test can identify what genes you have – “20% of these bulbs are orange, 10% are green, 50% are blue…” but it won’t tell you whether any of those lights are ON, or if they’re burnt out.  An Epigenetic test looks on which lights are on or off – which ones are actually in use.  — Another way to look at it is thinking of a recipe book. If your DNA strand was the entire recipe book, and a gene was a single recipe, then epigenetic markers like DNA methylation would be like sticky notes, or notes penciled into the margins that tell the reader to skip a step, add more of something, or to give on up on this recipe entirely. Those notes can be both added and removed. Sometimes adding more notes can ‘improve’ a recipe, while other times the notes mess with the original recipe too much and need to be removed for the best end result.  The base recipe – your DNA – is never changed. Epigenetics just adds notes on top.