DHT – The Hormone That Induces Hair Loss!

If testosterone were not enough, there’s yet another forceful hormone in males called DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)! It triggers hair loss, which is purely hormonal, and permanent! Though Dihydrotestosterone carries many important functions in a man’s body, it can prove to be quite troublesome at times. One of the deep troubles that it causes is loss of hair, when there is an abnormality in prostrate gland and it produces excess of this hormone.
This hormone has been found to attack hair follicles, thereby causing shrinkage. This weakens hair, which, eventually fall off. New hair cannot grow, as the hair follicles have shrunk and become useless. Eventually, thinning of hair leads to big bald patches on the head. The nightmare has started!

How DHT Attacks Your Hair…


There is something called dermal papilla, which is a vital part of hair follicle. It is directly connected to blood capillaries in the skin and is responsible for nourishing hair follicles. New hair is formed when the cell of this vital part divides and differentiates. When DHT attacks hair follicles, it inhibits the flow of nutrients through the dermal papilla. As a result, the hair follicles become malnourished, its growth is slowed, and the resting stage increases. The hormone also shrinks hair follicles, known as miniaturization, which leads to hair fall.

This is how DHT pulls off your lovely hair from the head. About 95 percent of hair loss is due to this hormone. Moreover, this happens in both men and women who are genetically “programmed” to produce more of this hormone than other people do.

This hormone does tricky business with your hair. It forms a wax like substance around the roots of your hair. Thus, male pattern balding occurs due to this build up of DHT. There are various products in the market that block the production of this hormone at molecular level. Shampoos with DHT blockers as well as medications help to “tame” this aggressive hormone.