" In some men and women, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes hair follicles to shrink gradually."
What is Dihydrotestosterone?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a powerful sex hormone. It is stronger than testosterone, the most commonly known androgen hormone.
How Dihydrotestosterone Get Created in The Body?
Our body creates dihydrotestosterone with the help of 5α-reductase, the enzyme found in the reproductive organs (testes, ovaries), prostate, skin, hair follicles and other internal organs.
5α-reductase plays an important role in the steroid metabolism in our body. This enzyme converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. In general, about 10% of testosterone in our body gets converted into DHT. Dihydrotestosterone is the hormone behind the male characteristics such as body and facial hair, deep voice and muscles.
Do Women Have Dihydrotestosterone in Their Body?
Although women have much lower testosterone levels than men, women produce testosterone in their body too. Due to the presence of 5α-reductase, some of this testosterone also gets converted into dihydrotestosterone. High levels of dihydrotestosterone in women's body have been associated with the excess facial and body hair, irregular menstrual periods and persistent acne.
How Dihydrotestosterone Affects Hair on The Scalp?
In majority of people, dihydrotestosterone doesn't affect the hair life cycle, however, in some people, it triggers the thinning of the hair. It is not yet fully understood why dihydrotestosterone triggers hair loss in some people but not all. In certain cases, DHT even causes baldness in both men and women.
There have been countless studies on how and why dihydrotestosterone causes hair follicles to shrink. The precise answer is still yet to be found. Is this kind of an autoimmune disease?
Dihydrotestosterone Attacks Hair Follicles
Dihydrotestosterone may cause hair follicles to shrink gradually. With time, hair appears visibly weaker, shorter and thinner. In science, the term of androgenetic alopecia is used for a hair loss condition caused by androgen hormones, particularly dihydrotestosterone. Left untreated, this hair loss condition causes baldness in both men (male pattern baldness) and women (female pattern baldness).
The mechanism of DHT action in androgenetic alopecia can be explained in two steps:
1. Dihydrotestosterone Shortens The Anagen Stage of The Hair
Anagen is a stage in the hair growth cycle when hair follicle is actively growing hair. In people who don't suffer from hair loss, hair will keep growing for a period of three to five years before it falls out. However, in people who suffer from androgenetic hair loss, hair follicles are sensitive to DHT. Dihydrotestosterone causes hair follicles to be inactive. As a result, hair follicles shrink gradually and no longer grow hair as they used to be. Over the times, the hair becomes thinner and shorter. In men, the temple and crown are the first two most common areas affected by androgenetic hair loss.
2. Dihydrotestosterone Lengthens The Telogen and Exogen Stages of The Hair Follicles
Telogen is a stage in the hair growth cycle when hair follicle is resting while exogen is a stage when hair follicle is shedding hair. In people who suffer from androgenetic alopecia, dihydrotestosterone lengthens the resting and shedding stages of hair follicles. At advanced stages of hair loss, majority of the hair follicles on the scalp are inactive.
Hair loss is usually a gradual process over a period of time. A proper treatment at the early stages of hair loss can prevent it from progressing further. It is crucial to save as many as hair follicles as early as possible. Don't wait for the hair loss to progress. Anti-Hair Loss Serum has been developed over 15 years to stop hair loss condition. With the optimum contents of caffeine, menthol and rosemary essential oil to lower the DHT levels in the scalp, this unisex hair restorer gradually restores density and thickness. For best results, apply evenly to dry, clean scalp before bedtime and leave overnight; don't need to rinse.
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Author:
Henry Tianus is a multi-award-winning Anti-Ageing Specialist with 2 decades experience in skincare research and product development. Henry Tianus's articles have been read by people in more than 100 countries with USA and UK at the top of the list.
Scientific Sources: (1) Serum Levels of Androgen-Associated Hormones Are Correlated with Curative Effect in Androgenic Alopecia in Young Men, Medical Science Monitor, 2018, 24: 7770–7777. (2) Assessment of the usefulness of dihydrotestosterone in the diagnostics of patients with androgenetic alopecia, Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii; Alergologii, 2014 Aug; 31(4): 207–215.