What You Need to Know About DHT and Hair Loss

Dihydrotestosterone is a hormone with powerful androgenic properties. This important hormone plays a role in puberty and helps men develop their adult male characteristics.

Dihydrotestosterone is an androgen, which means it is a hormone that triggers the development of male characteristics. The hormone is created when testosterone is converted into a new form, dihydrotestosterone. About 10% of the testosterone in the bodies of both men and women is converted into dihydrotestosterone in adults, with a much higher amount in puberty. This may be why it is so closely related to the triggering of puberty. The dihydrotestosterone hormone is much more powerful than testosterone.

How does dihydrotestosterone work?

Dihydrotestosterone initiates the start of puberty in boys. It causes the genitals to develop and can cause the growth of pubic and body hair. It also causes the prostate to grow during puberty and may work together with testosterone to begin the expression of sexual desires and behavior.

Women also have dihydrotestosterone. Some research has shown that it can lead to pubic hair growth after puberty in girls. It may also play a role in determining when puberty will start for a girl.

Problems connected with dihydrotestosterone

Sometimes both men and women can struggle with high levels of dihydrotestosterone. In men, high levels cause few identifiable changes. However, women who have high dihydrotestosterone levels may have issues with excess body and facial hair. They may also struggle with adult acne and menstruation. A dihydrotestosterone inhibitor may be able to help restore natural levels of the dihydrotestosterone hormone.

4 High DHT Symptoms You Should Know

Acne Is a Symptom of High DHT

High DHT leads to high levels of androgens, which contribute to acne in men. While it’s less common in adults, high hormone levels can increase oil production and clog pores that cause acne.

A Receding Hairline Is a Symptom of High DHT

High DHT may also lead to receding hairline. There is a strong link between androgenetic alopecia and DHT levels. Variations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene can make some people more susceptible to the effects of DHT. In males, this form of hair loss usually follows a characteristic pattern, starting with a receding hairline.

Hair Loss at the Temples and on the Crown Are Symptoms of High DHT

High DHT may lead to more hair loss on the superior portion of the scalp, otherwise known as the vertex scalp, or the crown. After hair loss at the front of the scalp, male pattern baldness usually progresses with hair loss at the temples and the crown of the head (with hair spared at the back of the head). Over time, the areas meet and there is a horseshoe pattern of hair loss around the sides and top of the head.

Prostate problems

DHT also stimulates the growth of prostate cells, producing normal growth in adolescence but contributing to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in many older men.

Don’t Wait. Get Help Today.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, don’t wait to get help. The sooner you address the symptoms of hair loss, the more likely you are to prevent irreversible damage.