What Causes Hair Loss? DHT Explained in 60 Seconds
Talk to a hair restoration expert
Book a consultation in Atlanta or Alpharetta.
What causes hair loss? For most men and many women, the answer is DHT (dihydrotestosterone).
DHT is a byproduct of testosterone that shrinks hair follicles over time, leading to male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss.
Treatments like Finasteride and Dutasteride are DHT blockers. They work by stopping the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT, helping slow or even stop progressive thinning.
That’s why these medications remain some of the most effective non-surgical treatments for hair loss today.
What hair loss is, specifically male pattern hair loss and to some extent female pattern hair loss is a genetic sensitivity to the withering effects of the DHT. So if you can limit the amount of DHT in the body, you’re going to limit the amount of hair loss that you’re having. A DHT blocker is something that prevents the conversion of testosterone into DHT or dihydrotestosterone.
That’s done by enzymes in the body. Drugs like finasteride and dutasteride block that enzyme that converts the testosterone into DHT, lowering the levels of the offending agent. And that’s why they’re so effective in treating progressive hair loss.
