It all happens to us…those first patches of skin that emerge from the recession of your hairline.
Or that first patch of hair that’s thinning out to just fine strands?
It’s easy to get stressed over such changes or trying to find out the exact reason why your hair is starting to fall out.
Is it just a matter of genetics?
Stress at work?
Poor diet and sleep habits?
Or is it one of those aspects of your lifestyle you can change through behavioral changes?
The truth is much simpler: hair loss in men is largely due to a male steroid hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which binds to receptors in the scalp, causing hair loss in men who are hereditarily predisposed to baldness.
It’s not as esoteric as it seems – DHT’s role in hair loss is quite easy to understand. We’re going to explain exactly what that is, how your body produces it, and its effect on the hair follicles. We’re also giving you some actionable steps you can take to reduce the impact of DHT on your hairline.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): the main culprit
DHT is an androgen that is a byproduct of testosterone that is responsible for important developments such as the development of genitalia.
DHT, in many ways, is one of the many hormones that define characteristics typically associated with being a male – however, it’s a little different in a lot of important ways.
DHT is produced by the body as a testosterone byproduct through the efforts of the 5a Reductase enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for converting a fraction of your testosterone into DHT in the liver, prostate, skin, and hair follicles.
DHT impacts men who are genetically predisposed to baldness by binding to the receptors in the hair follicles and shrinks them until it dies. This process of miniaturization eventually thins out the hair until the follicle stops growing hair entirely, particularly for hair follicles affected by DHT.
On the other hand, DHT plays an important role that determines hair growth in the body – which is interesting because the same hormone that causes male pattern hair loss is the same one that increases the growth in your body hair.
Conventional DHT blocking shampoos and sprays achieves that effect at the follicular level. While this strategy is generally effective, it doesn’t block DHT from binding to the receptors located in the scalp.
Other, yet more effective methods for blocking DHT and its effects is to block it right from where it is produced. Prescription drugs like finasteride were developed for this purpose, which works by blocking testosterone’s conversion to DHT by binding to the 5α-Reductase enzyme, completely preventing the production of DHT from the get-go.
There’s a little bit more to discuss on finasteride and how it and other DHT blockers below. The key takeaway is that hair loss is most likely caused by a genetic predisposition to be sensitive to DHT, even when taking into considerations like stress and diet and its effect on your hair growth.
How does finasteride treat baldness?
According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, finasteride is the most adequate treatment available to reduce the effect of and in some cases stopping male pattern hair loss entirely.
Finasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor that works by binding to the 5α-reductase enzyme and preventing it from converting the testosterone into DHT.
Think of it as a defensive barrier that keeps your testosterone as it was, while stopping the production of DHT altogether. It doesn’t just block DHT that occurs on the scalp, but blocks it right at the source that produces the hormone itself.
Finasteride was first developed as a treatment for prostate growth because of these properties – until it was eventually discovered that it stopped, or at least slowed down, what then was an unstoppable march into male pattern hair loss.
A daily dose of finasteride blocks enough DHT production to curtail hair loss. In some cases, it even restored the damage that DHT dealt to hair follicles so that hair started to return.
Does blocking DHT have any side effects?
For the vast majority of cases, blocking DHT doesn’t elicit any remarkable or even noticeable side effects for most healthy men.
The main side effects of blocking DHT are as follows – which range from having a positive effect on the body, or otherwise:
Higher testosterone levels
For athletes who compete in sports that are sanctioned and tested for, it is worth noting that finasteride’s effect on testosterone production might find it on the list of banned drugs.
A reduced libido
In almost all cases, finasteride has no benefit or drawback on your libido. You might just feel the same when you take it. But there have been reports of a small number of men who experienced a marked reduction of interest in sexual activity.
Poor erection quality
As reduced libido is, poor erection quality that doesn’t feel as firm or longer-lasting than it should be is another one of those rare side effects for a small minority of finasteride users.
Regardless of how scary it looks, the fact of the matter is that the great majority of men who take DHT blockers experience no serious side effects with its use.
Should you go the DHT blocker route?
If hair loss is something you’d want to deal with, DHT blocking drugs are among the most powerful weapons at your disposal to slow down its progress and possibly completely stop it.
The earlier you start a regimen of treatment, the better your chances and the more success you’ll encounter in stopping any further hair loss. Remember, once the hair no longer produces any hair, there’s nothing that can bring it back.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether taking a DHT-blocking drug like finasteride is something you’d consider to stop the effect of hair loss, it’s very clear what the role that testosterone plays in determining hair loss is clear – but it has a lot more to do with how DHT, its byproduct, is controlled.
