What is the relationship of the hormone DHT to hair loss?

Hair loss and baldness are conditions that cause great concern and inconvenience to almost all men and women as a person can suffer from hair loss at any age, and sometimes it may be due to genetic factors or as a result of a health condition or the use of some medications for others and with hair loss and hormonal changes in The body, whether it is in men or women, there is a relationship. In the following lines we will talk about the main causes of hair loss and what is the relationship between dihydrotestosterone and hair loss? And how to deal with this problem.

Causes of hair loss

We lose between 50 and 100 hairs every day, which is a normal and imperceptible rate of new hair growth. However, if you notice unusually severe hair loss and hollows forming in the scalp, it could be due to:

• Heredity: It is the most common cause where hair loss occurs with age and occurs in men and women, but in different forms. It is called androgenetic alopecia in English and occurs due to a change in its levels. on male hormones, a gradual condition over the years which we will discuss in detail in the next few paragraphs.
• Hormonal changes and health conditions: such as hormonal changes during pregnancy, childbirth or during the menstrual cycle, in addition to thyroid diseases, scalp infections or alopecia, an immune disease in which immune cells attack hair follicles and cause them to fall out in one or more areas of the head.
• Certain medications and supplements: Hair is affected by the side effects of some medications or nutritional supplements, such as: chemotherapy for cancer.
• Radiation exposure: Radiation exposure to the scalp leads to hair loss.
• Extreme stress: Hair falls out due to extreme stress and emotional or physical trauma, but fortunately it is a temporary condition.

The link between DHT and hair loss

There is a strong relationship between DHT and hereditary hair loss in both men and women. at high levels in the body. As a result of high levels of testosterone (male hormone), it affects the hair follicles and leads to their loss. But first let us tell you what is DHT?

What is Dihydrotestosterone?

DHT is a class of androgens responsible for the masculinizing characteristics of men and plays an important role during puberty as it is responsible for deepening the voice, building muscle, and growing hair throughout the body in men.

How is Dihydrotestosterone made?

There is an enzyme called “5-alpha reductase” that converts testosterone into DHT, and this process occurs in the body of men and women, but in different proportions of course, and research has not yet reached the role of this hormone in a woman’s body, but it is believed that it is responsible for hair growth in the pubic area after puberty.

How does DHT affect hair loss?

Some sources report that DHT stimulates androgen receptors in the scalp to shrink hair follicles, resulting in weak hair and hair loss. Research shows that this happens in some people for the following reasons:

• Elevated levels of the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to DHT.
• The presence of the hormone DHT in a large proportion in the scalp.
• Increased number of dihydrotestosterone receptors in scalp hair follicles.

Causes of high hair loss hormone in men and women

Genetics plays an important role in the high levels of hair loss hormone in both men and women, and some research has shown that smoking affects high levels of this hormone in the body, as nicotine affects the enzyme responsible for metabolism and body absorption. for the accumulation of DHT and explains. Other sources suggest that some medications can increase hormone levels.

Also, a common cause of thick hair loss is the excessive use of corticosteroids and corticosteroids in athletes, especially bodybuilders, and there are many other conditions that can increase hormone levels in both men and women:

Causes of increased dihydrotestosterone in women

Some medical conditions can cause high levels of male hormone in women’s bodies, which in turn cause high levels of DHT, the most famous of which are:

Causes of high dihydrotestosterone in men

• neoplasms;
• Excessive use of hormonal treatments without consulting a doctor.

Baldness in men and women

With high levels of the hormone DHT and the resulting hair loss, the form of male pattern baldness in men and women varies as follows:

• In men: Known as male pattern baldness, it is the regression of hair from the temple or from the center and can progress to partial or total baldness.
• In women: It is known as female pattern baldness, which is hair loss from the line down the middle of the hair, and is divided into three stages.

How to prevent dihydrotestosterone and treat baldness

Sources explain that stopping the hormone DHT in women and men to prevent the exacerbation of baldness is done through two types of medications, namely:

• Blockers are medications that prevent dihydrotestosterone from binding to receptors in the body and scalp.
• Dihydrotestosterone Inhibitors : These reduce levels of dihydrotestosterone in the body.

Some other medications and treatments for hair loss are also used, including:

Finasteride

Finasteride is an FDA-approved male-only drug that prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT and protects hair follicles from shrinkage.

minoxidil

It is a vasodilator medication that improves blood flow to the scalp, which promotes hair growth after a period of use.

pumpkin seed oil

There is a study that found that in some men with baldness, after consuming a certain amount of pumpkin seed oil daily for 24 weeks, the number of ingrown hairs increased by up to 40%.

Vitamins and Supplements

Some doctors suggest that a complete diet containing vitamins, especially biotin and vitamins B6 and B12, is necessary to improve hair health.