Laymans Guide to DHT Blockers

Laymans ,Guide to DHT ,Blockers

In order to fully appreciate how DHT blockers work, I want to give you a high level (non-scientific) overview of how DHT actually causes hair loss. Everyone of us have some amount of DHT in out blood stream. It is produced by a hormone called testosterone which develops after puberty. Women also can have some levels of DHT in their blood stream. DHT is a natural hormone and causes no harm to our bodies but it does signal any hair follicles that are genetically programmed a certain way to shut down.
DHT combined with your genetics it the cause of pattern baldnessContinued exposure to DHT in people that are sensitive to the hormone causes the hair follicle to thin and eventually die. When a person starts to go bald or suffers from advanced hair loss you will notice that they commonly hold onto their hair in the back and sides. These follicles are usually not effected by DHT and they will produce hair for all of your lifetime. This is where the term "pattern baldness" comes from. In men the common areas that are effected by hair loss are the temples and the crown.
Women who suffer from hair loss due to DHT seem to loos hair throughout their scalp. While they do not usually suffer advanced balding or large bald patches, their hair seems to thin right throughout the top of their head.
How DHT Causes Hair LossYour normal follicles go through a growth phase that lasts between 4 to 6 years. At the end of each cycle the hair shaft is shed and the growth cycle starts all over again. Each hair follicles growth cycle is unique in that not all follicles are at the same point in time of their cycle together. If they were you would be totally bald for a few weeks at the end of each cycle. Hairs at the end of the growth cycle are the hairs that you may see on your pillow or in the shower. When the follicle is healthy this naturally shed ed hair will be replaced by a new healthy hair follicle.
For hair follicles that are effected by DHT the growth cycle eventually becomes much shorter and the hair produced is weaker. Eventually the hair follicle completely shuts down and dies meaning it will no longer produce hair. as each follicle dies over time your hair loss eventually becomes noticeable.
How DHT Blockers Work To Prevent Hair LossThere are 2 main types of DHT blocker medication. One interferes with the conversion of testosterone into DHT and thus reduces to effects of DHT on the DHT sensitive hair follicles. The other type of DHT blocker focuses on blocking the receptor are of the follicle so that it cannot be harmed by the DHT.