DHT, also known as dihydrotestosterone, is a hormone derived from testosterone through the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. DHT plays a significant role in the development and regulation of male characteristics, including the growth of facial hair, deepening of the voice, and the maturation of reproductive organs.
However, when it comes to hair, DHT can have detrimental effects. In individuals genetically predisposed to hair loss, DHT can bind to specific receptors in hair follicles, causing a process called miniaturization. This miniaturization leads to the gradual shrinking of the hair follicles, resulting in thinner and weaker hair strands. Over time, the affected follicles may become incapable of producing new hair, leading to hair thinning and eventual hair loss.
The influence of DHT on hair follicles is commonly associated with conditions like male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. This condition affects both men and women, although it is more prevalent in males. The sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT and the subsequent miniaturization process is influenced by genetic factors.
To counteract the effects of DHT on hair follicles, various treatment approaches aim to inhibit the production of DHT or block its binding to receptors in the scalp. These treatments often involve the use of medications such as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors or anti-androgens, which can help slow down hair loss or promote hair regrowth in some cases.
It's important to note that DHT is not inherently destructive or harmful. It plays vital roles in the body beyond hair growth. However, when it comes to hair loss, understanding and managing the impact of DHT on hair follicles is crucial in developing effective strategies to maintain healthy hair.
The studies showed that DHT:
- Makes hair finer
- Makes hair weaker
- Miniaturizes hair through a combination of the problems mentioned in both (1.) and (2 .)
This widely unknown cause for hair loss is why so many hair products don’t work. And, now we know 4 major reasons for the cause of hair loss, so far :
- Stress (general stress can cause muscle tension and oily scalp issues )
- Nutrition deficiencies (including foods that need to be consumed and avoided )
- Lack of physical exercise in certain areas pertaining to the muscles in the head
- Increases in the DHT hormone So, how is testosterone transformed into DHT, the “enemy” chemical that causes hair loss? And is it really the enemy?
Testosterone is converted by an enzyme (called 5-alpha reductase) which changes the form of it into DHT. There are two types that are produced, the first occurs in the sebaceous glands which are located in the oiliest part of the follicle, and the second occurs inside the follicle itself. In time, DHT keeps being produced which makes the hair follicle go into its inactive state; called dormancy. Eventually, the hair becomes finer, weaker, and then miniaturizes before it falls out, altogether .
Over the course of history, DHT has been dubbed “an enemy” or “the devil hormone” because of its effects on hair loss, overall. But, in actual fact, the male body needs DHT, very- much so. It is responsible for the development and formation of the male sexual characteristics on the whole. It is, quite literally, the hormone needed to transmute a boy into a man, and sustain that change, right from adolescence and into adulthood. Without DHT the male body can behave very strangely .
Unfortunately, many products have surfaced on the current market. These are ones which have been specifically made to lessen and control DHT formation and production within the body. And unfortunately, this can have detrimental effects on a man and his functioning, overall. The main point I am trying to make here is that; lessening DHT is absolutely necessary. But, this is only true for the scalp area, and not the entire body, as a whole entity.
- Loss of appetite for sex
- Impotency (in men )
- Erectile dysfunction (in men )
- Female breast development (in men )
Drugs like Propecia (finasteride) have had shocking long-term effects on men, who need to continue the treatment at a cost of over $700 per year, because of the impermanence of its functioning methodology. This means that; for hair loss to be impeded, an individual would need this ongoing treatment for the rest of their lifetime and, at the detriment of their health both now and in the long-term. Discontinuing the use of products like Propecia will create the issue again. The need for pills like this is not suggested.
It was a natural way that I was looking for. I knew that I didn’t want to become impotent, or have erectile dysfunction, either. No thanks. The other harrowing problems were large breast formation and a low sexual appetite. These conditions definitely weren’t for me, either. I needed a way to keep my testosterone from changing into DHT, but in the scalp only, if this was even possible at all .
I kept searching, and then I stumbled upon some research that made me get excited. The study found that it was possible to convert DHT back into testosterone via the use of voluntary muscles! In fact, it was possible to reactivate the parts of my scalp that had dying hair roots, due to the production of DHT, and in the areas that were being affected. It was like a bonanza of much needed and hoped-for knowledge. This information can be sourced from Wikipedia when you look up “Dihydrotestosterone” (the long name for DHT). It was there (and via a few other sources) that I learned that there was an enzyme that can reconvert DHT back into testosterone. It is called “3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.” This enzyme is not detrimental to hair growth, so it might be the answer I’d longed for. I felt so excited about what I found .
I kept reading and found out even more. Dr. Bryan J. Freund D.D.S., M.D. (Ontario, Canada) incorporated a scientific study that was based upon the formation of DHT. It surmised the need for excellent blood circulation and the need for proper vasodilation of the capillaries as major factors for success, overall. The study was called “Treatment of Male Pattern Baldness with Botulinum Toxin .”
The findings suggested that:
- Conversion from testosterone to DHT was favored in low oxygen environments at a cellular level.
- DHT, when given more oxygenation, changed itself into another hormone, one that was not associated with hair loss .
- Areas above the neck and ears are prone to oxygenation because they are moved regularly, during jaw movement in eating, talking, or facial expression changes. This prevents both the production and the accumulation of the hormone known as DHT.
- The areas prone to less oxygenation aren’t physically moved, leading to a lessened amount of blood flow to those areas, thus increasing the DHT production there, and leading to thinning, and eventual hair loss, over time.
- Overproduction of DHT can also irritate the sebaceous glands to action and create sebum, which is rich in DHT hormone, signaling even more hair loss to occur.
Two major factors are necessary for hair loss to stop :
Circulation is required to stop DHT formation that needs oxygen.
I felt wonderful as I found myself understanding why men and women went bald. I was getting closer to something. But who else knew about this? And how could this be fixed ?
I had to find someone who understood this; because I was young and at my peak. I read more, and even though I knew plenty already, I still needed to understand how it affected women. Women had these issues too, and it must be devastating for them, considering that social values are geared to looking great, in this extremely “looks mean everything” time that we now live in. Self-esteem could be really low for men who had hair loss issues, but women… wow, that could be just as gruelling, if not more daunting for them. Anyway, I found out that women, when stressed, produce more testosterone, and then, the oxygenation issue easily comes into play, in the same way it does for men . S o, now, this issue was big… I realized that it was affecting so many. And people all around the entire globe. Demographics didn’t matter, but stress, nutrition, physical exercise, oxygenation, and circulation mattered… A LOT.
