Understanding DHT and Hair Loss

We all know hair loss affects millions of people, most which are male yet not exclusively. In fact two out of three of us men will lose 60% of our hair before we are 60 years of age, while 25% of women will also experience thinning hair.

While most people after minimal research will find that DHT or Dihydrotestosterone is to blame, they don’t really understand what DHT is or how it works.

What is DHT?

DHT is short for DiHydroTestosterone which is just one of the testosterones we have within our bodies. The main testosterones we normally think of are total testosterone and free testosterone. The testosterones as a group are also known as Androgens or the male hormones, even though women do in fact have these as well.

You can think of DHT as the bad testosterone. While we do need it when we are young - it is the hormone that helps male children to develop in the womb and also lets us know when it is time to go through puberty, it only causes us problems after that.

Where does DHT come from?

There is an enzyme within our bodies called 5-alpha-reductase that turns total testosterone into dihydrotesterone (instead of free testosterone) by combining it with free radical hydrogen ions. Please see my previous article on Too Many H’s if you would like to learn more about that.

Some of us are born with a 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that is overactive, therefore producing more DHT than we need. This combined with another genetic trait for scalp sensitivity to DHT and other lifestyle elements such as poor modern caveman habits and the wrong diet contribute to our thinning and balding scalps.

A side effect of more DHT for many men is also less Free Testosterone than is optimal for a good quality of life. 5-alpha-reductase steals from Free Testosterone to create DHT.  Free Testosterone is the hormone that provides us with energy, libido, the ability to build muscle, strong bones and a healthy cardiovascular system .

So If I am suffering from hair loss, is there something that can be done about it?

The answer is yes , but it’s not quite as easy as you might think.  While some Venture Capitalist funded online sales companies would have you believe it’s as simple as buying generic DHT blockers created over 40 years ago online and having them delivered monthly to your door, Dr Nettles has found that there is not simply a one size fits all approach and that solution can in fact provide a large number of men with some very negative side effects.

So what is the answer to learn about my hair loss?

The answer is that while DHT does contribute to your hair loss (in varying amounts by individual), there are actually a number of both genetic and lifestyle factors that impact both your hair and overall health, and that a one size fits all approach is not the solution.

Dr Nettles created his Biochemical Report Card to thoroughly analyze both your lifestyle and genetic contributing factors which enables him to create a personalized holistic plan designed to stop hair loss and get you so healthy your hair will regrow on its own.

You can see some of Dr Nettles reviews and success stories here.

Or schedule your own Biochemical Report Card to learn about your genetics and lifestyle factors here.