DHT: How It Causes Hair Loss and How to Slow It
Understanding the Science of Hair Loss
If you’re in the dark about the causes of your hair loss, it can be especially hard to know how to prevent it. Without understanding the factors that are contributing to your thinning hair, it’s tough to know where to start with creating an effective hair loss prevention regimen.
When it comes to hair loss, knowledge is power – and we’re here to give you all the information you need to understand the science behind hair loss. That way, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how to prevent, and even reverse, thinning hair.
Hormones Are Often Behind Hair Loss For Both Men And Women
Whether you are male and female, if you are dealing with thinning hair, one of the most likely causes is your hormones. As you age, your body’s levels of specific hormones can fluctuate. These increases and decreases in the levels of certain hormones in your body can have a major effect on how your hair grows. The main category of hormones to know about in relation to hair loss are androgens.
Androgens are a set of hormones that regulate inherently masculine characteristics in the male and female body. Androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) play key roles in regulating the depth of your voice, the growth of body hair, and the growth of facial hair. Androgens are found in higher levels in the bodies of men, but are found in both the male and female body.
DHT and Hair Loss
The key androgen that contributes to hair loss for many men and women is dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is created by the body as a product of testosterone, and this androgen is produced in high levels at specific points in your life, especially during puberty. DHT plays a key role in the physical changes that teenagers undergo during puberty – a deeper voice, the growth of pubic hair and facial hair, and other uncomfortable telltale signs of adolescence.
DHT is essential for the physical development of the human body. Without it, men and women would not physically mature. However, DHT levels can continue rising long after puberty, and this hormone does not serve the same purpose in your body later in life as it did in adolescence.
As you get older, rising levels of DHT can end up having a negative effect on your hair follicles, constricting them and causing your hair to grow thinner and shorter.
What is Androgenic Alopecia?
Hair loss caused by DHT is extremely common in both men and women. This condition, known as androgenic alopecia, affects a quarter of women over 50 and half of men over 50, making it the most common form of hair loss in adults. Other factors like stress and genetics can contribute to the development of androgenic alopecia, but DHT is the primary culprit in this form of hair loss.
Androgenic alopecia is often called male or female pattern hair loss, and is easy to recognize. This type of hair loss is characterized by the loss of hair in specific parts of your head rather than going completely bald.
When a man is dealing with androgenic alopecia, he may see his hairline receding and notice a growing bald spot at the top of his head. For women, the condition typically causes thinning around the separation – or “part” – between the two sides of the head. However, the condition can manifest differently based on the way a person’s hair naturally grows.
When Does Androgenic Alopecia Develop?
This type of hair loss usually shows up later in life, often past the age of 50. However, earlier-onset hair loss isn’t uncommon, and many men and women notice signs of androgenic alopecia as early as their 30s.
When androgenic alopecia sets in earlier in life, it can be especially discouraging. Most men and women and their 30s are not expecting to look in the mirror and notice their hair getting thin. Pattern hair loss can take a major toll on your confidence, especially if you start seeing it earlier in life.
Luckily, androgenic alopecia’s progression is easier to slow, and even reverse, the earlier you catch it. That means that the sooner you start working to prevent hair loss, the better. If you are in your 30s and are already starting to notice your hair getting thin, now is the time to start countering your hair loss with the use by including GroMD’s DHT-blocking, growth-boosting formula in your daily hair care routine.
Even if your hair loss has progressed significantly, GroMD can still have a big impact on your hair’s ability to grow. Hair loss is easier to prevent than it is to reverse, especially past a certain point, but that doesn’t mean there is no hope for your head!
No matter how severe your hair loss is, taking great care of your hair and scalp through the use of GroMD products can help.
How To Slow DHT Down
If you are dealing with DHT-related hair loss, it’s time to stop it in its tracks and get your hair back.
Through the use of DHT blockers, you can get your hair’s natural growth cycle back on track, minimizing the amount of time that your hair spends resting and maximizing the amount of time that it spends growing.
The best way to include DHT-blocking ingredients in your hair care routine is through daily use of GroMD’s Shampoo & Conditioner and Follicle Activator Spray.
Our proprietary blend of DHT blockers includes saw palmetto, caffeine, pumpkin seed extract, Korean red ginseng, and many more natural inhibitors of your body’s conversion of testosterone into DHT.
When you take care of your hair with DHT-blocking ingredients, your hair follicles can start enlarging back to their normal, healthy size. This shift allows your hair to grow at a normal rate and get back to the healthy, full, thick look that it used to have. DHT blockers counteract the follicle-shrinking, growth-slowing effects of dihydrotestosterone on your hair, helping you get a head of hair that you can feel great about.
In addition to the natural DHT blockers included in GroMD products, your hair also needs moisture and nutrients to stay healthy. All of our formulas include hydrating ingredients like argan oil to keep your hair and scalp moisturized, and can provide you with high amounts of antioxidants and fatty acids.
A dry, irritated, raw scalp is the opposite of what you want for optimal hair growth, and keeping your hair and scalp moisturized will leave your head feeling and looking great.
How Long Do Results Take To Show Up?
When you start using DHT blockers to slow down and reverse your hair loss, it’s easy to get anxious in anticipation of the results. Like so many good things, getting new hair growth after you start a hair loss prevention regimen takes time.
However, through daily use of DHT-blocking shampoo and conditioner, you can see incredible changes in your hair’s look, feel, thickness, and fullness.
One of the best steps you can take to boost your results is to pair GroMD products with minoxidil (Rogaine). Minoxidil is a highly effective, FDA-approved hair loss treatment that is easy to pair with GroMD’s hair care regimen.
After a few months of consistently taking care of your hair with minoxidil and GroMD products, you can start seeing some noticeable, incredible results!
Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.
Sources:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1982.tb00406.x
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/34/6/1098/2685875
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08671.x