LEARNING HOW DHT CAUSE HAIR LOSS
Posted by Manny Y on 7th Apr 2015
When you’re in your 30s and happen to observe more than normal hair strands on your pillow every morning, then this may be a sign of impending hair loss. Other signs are more hair strands on your comb or brush or more hair stuck on the drain after a shower.
Image via Wikipedia
Hair loss affects both women and men and this is called androgenetic alopecia. This is a type of hair loss that’s genetically transferred. The mean age where hair loss starts is about 30 years old and this advance as an individual ages. In some cases, especially if hair loss starts early, some experience loss of hair in their late teens or early 20s. Pop star Ne-yo is a victim of this type of hair loss and he started to get bald very early in life and admits that this condition runs in the family.
The cause for this genetic type of hair loss is that for whatever reason, the hair follicles on scalp in particular, becomes sensitive to DHT or dihydrotestosterone. DHT is a vital hormone that triggers the secondary traits of males. Because of this, DHT is responsible for hair growth all over the body for males such as hair on the chest, under arms, pubic area, facial hair and even nose hair. But it seems that DHT is not good for hair on the scalp.
Another theory on why DHT leads to hair loss is that it causes the scalp to thicken or harden. This shrinks the blood vessels, thus depriving the hair follicles of vital nutrients. The hair follicles are one of the most active cells in the body and they need a lot of nutrients, especially protein, to produce hair.
This is why why drug companies are making hair loss treatment products that inhibit the harmful effects of DHT on the scalp or increase the oxygenation of the scalp. Unfortunately, these drugs have variable side effects from an itchy scalp to decreased libido because these are chemical based and are not really safe to use for long periods.
To prevent any unwanted side effects, it is better to use natural based hair loss treatment to stop hair loss. Saw palmetto is a natural DHT inhibitor and when used as a shampoo, it effectively stops the effects of DHT on the scalp and does not interfere with DHT systemically. For this reason, natural hair loss products are the best choice in treating hair loss for long periods.