How DHT works
Active in a number of areas within the body but predominantly in the prostate, skin and hair follicle, DHT is an important hormone to proper pubescent development. Without this hormone, organs like the prostate would not develop properly.
DHT is produced from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, and can be up to 5 times more potent than testosterone. It’s responsible for the development of ‘male’ ex characteristics like a deep voice.
When DHT is produced and flowing through your bloodstream it attaches itself to receptors in your hair follicles. Over time the size of the follicle starts to reduce and hair begins to thin. Ultimately hair will stop growing from the follicle and it becomes dormant, once it reaches this level there is often no way to re-establish hair growth in the follicle.
DHT and Balding
Follicles are tiny fluid sacs scattered throughout the skin, each one supports the growth of a single hair. These follicles regulate growth cycles of between 2 and 6 years before the hair falls out and the process begins again with the follicle growing a new hair.
Androgens like DHT attach to your hair follicles and cause the hair to grow out thinner, more brittle and reduce the lifespan of the hair making it fall out quicker. To add insult to injury, androgens also delay the start of the new cycle and the follicle takes longer to grow new hair after an old one has fallen out.
Contributing factors
It’s true that DHT is one of the root causes for hair loss but it affects everyone differently. Men and women who suffer from androgenic alopecia and those who don’t both have DHT – the difference lies in how much DHT their bodies produce and, a little less in our control, how susceptible our follicle receptors are to the hormone.
Yes, unfortunately hair loss due to DHT is hereditary. So if one of your parent suffered from hair loss, it is more likely that you will too. This means that your follicle receptors are more likely to link with the DHT that shrinks the follicles to the point where they become dormant. It all stems from a variation in the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene and is the cause for androgens such as DHT to link more easily with the receptors in hair follicles.
Reducing DHT’s impact
If you’re someone that suffers from hair loss, then your main concern is likely how to stop it. Fortunately there are treatments that can help and they function in one of two ways;
Inhibiting
These treatments are aimed at altering the production of DHT and reducing this at the source. This by extension means less DHT binds to receptors and essentially less DHT as a whole.
Blocking
Treatments in this category don’t change the levels of DHT within the body, instead they act as bodyguards preventing DHT from linking with the receptors in the first place.
When comparing these two alternatives it’s important to note that DHT is responsible for more than just its negative role in hair loss. It is also responsible for many pubescent functions and long after puberty it helps in other areas such as muscle mass retention, libido and even fertility.
Hairgenx DHT blockers
At Hairgenx, it’s imperative to us that the products we sell will not only help you overcome hair loss but also leave no negative impacts in their wake.
Our products are safe for both men and women and have none of the stated possible side effects associated with Finasteride based DHT blocking prescription medication.
