How Does DHT Cause Hair Loss?

Among family history, anemia and thyroid conditions, DHT is one of the most frequent causes of male pattern baldness. Alopecia is a widespread, troublesome condition that affects the well-being and self-confidence of over 30 million middle-aged U.S. men. DHT-related alopecia is a hormonal disorder, and we will now look more into its mechanisms in order to get a firm understanding of the condition.

What is dihydrotestosterone?

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is an androgen hormone synthesized by the enzyme 5α-reductase. The hormone is found in the prostate, testes, adrenal glands and, apparently, hair follicles (the living part of your hair). Although at first we might not notice any obvious connections between DHT and hair loss, it has been proven that androgenic alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness) is most frequently caused by the hypersensitivity of the hair follicles to dihydrotestosterone and/or elevated DHT levels.

What is the link between hair loss and DHT?

The dermal papilla is a part of the hair follicle responsible for hair growth and nutrient absorption (as it is directly connected to dermal blood capillaries, which is where essential nutrients come from). When your hair is damaged or regenerates, cells in the dermal papilla divide in order to replace the ones affected. However, in case of excessive sensitivity, the DHT produced in hair follicles gets to the dermal papilla, where it blocks nutrient absorption, causing follicles to shrink (a process called “miniaturization”) and eventually die.

The male body has more androgen hormone receptors in the dermal papilla, which explains why hair loss problems are more frequent in men than women.

Can you prevent alopecia by eating healthily?

Hair follicles develop in a similar way to the rest of the human body – they have resting and growing stages. In the lack of a balanced diet, the resting stage can last longer than the growing stage, which could worsen or even trigger hair loss over time. Make sure you get enough hair growth nutrients from the foods you eat (if you have long hair, you might also notice it tends to shed more during very stressful times, when your body needs more of the nutrients that tend to get drained during stress).

You may find drinking an organic green drink every day helps you consume a good level of organic greens.

While more powerful influences such as family history could sometimes make it impossible for you to prevent hair loss altogether just by eating healthily, nutrition plays a crucial part in the functionality and well-being of the endocrine system.

Conclusion

Experiencing hair loss doesn’t mean you should feel hopeless. Certain supplments such as 5α-reductase inhibitors are used in the treatment of alopecia – bear in mind there could be side effects that you must talk to your doctor about. Also consider blood tests to assess the functionality of your adrenal glands, as they are linked to a number of androgen hormone disorders.

If you’re concerned about hair loss caused by DHT check out my instructions on removing DHT from the scalp and my instructions on inhibiting DHT in your body — all of which is available in detail in my eBook.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth, take a look at my powerful natural hair regrowth technique.