What You Need to Know About DHT – Do DHT Blockers Really Work?

When it comes to hair loss, particularly in men, the main offender is Dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is an important hormone found in everyone’s bodies. Without DHT, we would not be able to grow taller, gain muscle, and much more as easily.

What You Need to Know About DHT – Do DHT Blockers Really Work?
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That being said, DHT doesn’t only do good things for the body. Too much of the hormone can be just as damaging as it is useful.

In this article, we’re going to look into exactly what DHT is and how it affects your body; both the good and the bad. We’ll also take a look at DHT blockers to see if they’re actually of any use to you. Shall we get started now? 

What is DHT?

DHT is comprised of converted testosterone in both men and women. For men, it is converted from testosterone in the testes and prostate, whereas for women, it is converted in the ovaries.

DHT has a huge impact on the process of puberty. For men, it impacts the growth of muscles, facial hair, the deepening of the voice, and so on.

DHT impacts the production of estrogen in women as well as aiding in the regulation of organs. 

As we age, DHT also helps regulate the preservation of muscle mass and keeps us fertile and healthy. If DHT remains at a nominal level, this will continue without trouble throughout your entire life.

As you get older, DHT tends to increase in levels, sometimes to a significantly too high level. This is where the side effects start to crop up… 

What are the Side Effects of Higher Levels of DHT?

For Men:

Aside from contributing heavily to hair loss, excessive levels of DHT in men can also cause the following symptoms:

• Enlarged Prostate

• Prostate Cancer

On the other hand, low levels of DHT in men can have dangerous symptoms as well:

• Underdeveloped Sexual Organs

• Prostate Tumors

• Gynecomastia (and other such conditions)

• Lack of Body Hair

For Women:

Women do not tend to exhibit hair loss from excessive DHT, ordinarily. However, there are a few other symptoms:

• Excessive Hair on the Face and Body

• Menstruation Issues

• Acne

When women have low levels of DHT, the main effect is underdeveloped sexual organs. There are usually no other noticeable symptoms. 

How Does DHT Cause Hair Loss?

When DHT reaches excessive levels, it tends to flow freely through your bloodstream. As it does so, some of it may bind to your hair follicle receptors.

When this occurs, it causes your hair follicles to shrivel up, producing weaker, thinner strands of hair. Eventually, the hair follicles dry up so much that they die and cease hair production permanently.

The more excess DHT your body produces, the more hair follicles will dry up. Eventually, this causes large bald spots until you have little or no hair on your scalp at all. 

Genetic Disposition of High DHT Production

Men who produce high levels of DHT and fall under male pattern baldness tend to pass this along to their male offspring. You are far more likely to suffer from male pattern baldness if your father does.

This can also skip a generation sometimes. Your Dad may not lose his hair. However, if your grandfather on your father’s side did, then you may find yourself with a similar condition. 

What are DHT Blockers Supposed to Do?

If you’ve already lost your hair due to DHT levels, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. DHT blockers are designed to manage your DHT levels over a period of time to prevent future symptoms from occurring.

A DHT blocker cannot undo what your excess DHT has already done, nor will it immediately halt these effects. It takes time for the effects to fully come to a halt.

As you take a DHT blocker, it will begin to slow the production of DHT in your body to a nominal level. As the current excess DHT in your body gets used up, your levels should back to normal, slowing the effects of excess DHT.

Again, this will not bring back the hair you have already lost. However, it may stop your body from drying out any of the hair follicles you have that are still functional. 

What DHT Blocker Options are Out There?

#1 – DHT Blocker Medicine (Pills)

There are many different pill-form DHT blockers out there. Not all of them are as useful as others. It pays to do some background research to determine if the brand you choose works well or not. (It also pays to ask your doctor’s advice)

The primary purpose of pill-form DHT blockers (finasteride is a well-known DHT blocking pill) is to slow the conversion of testosterone into DHT. The idea would be that your DHT levels end up balancing out after some time.

If used correctly, you should be able to come off the pills after some time. That being said, some people continue taking them at different doses based on the close DHT level monitoring of their doctor. (Do NOT self-prescribe these pills as you may end up going too far the other way and have too little DHT production) 

#2 – DHT Blocker Shampoos & Oils

Shampoo and oil-based DHT blockers like the ones from nisim.com are massaged directly into the scalp in order to keep DHT from attaching itself to your hair follicle receptors.

This DHT blocker method does not reduce the DHT levels in your body. However, it does reduce the hair loss symptoms that typically go with it. 

#3 – DHT Blocker Foods

Some foods are thought to help naturally reduce your body’s DHT levels:

• Kale

• Mushrooms

• Spinach

• Mangoes

• Carrots

• Watermelon

• Tomatoes

• Bananas

• Fish

• Legumes

• Liver

• Berries

These are a few of the main foods that may help your excess DHT symptoms. Eating more of these foods may help but tend not to completely alleviate the symptoms in most cases 

#4 – DHT Blocker Vitamin Supplements

Certain vitamins help your body to produce stronger healthier hair:

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B3

• Biotin

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Zinc

Taking these vitamin supplements will help your hair grow better and thus reduce the chances of your hair follicles being overwhelmed by DHT. However, this method will not slow the production of DHT, meaning you are still likely to have some trouble if you don’t do anything else about it. 

Can I Get My DHT Levels Checked?

If you visit a dermatologist or your doctor, they will likely offer you either a blood test and/or a saliva panel test.

Dermatologists are generally the best option as they are trained to deal with problems such as hair loss. They are far more likely to give you helpful, long-lasting advice than anyone else.

We hope you have learned all you need to know about DHT’s effects on your hair and how DHT blockers work. If you are concerned about any hair loss symptoms, we recommend going straight to your doctor to get the ball rolling. Once the hair is gone, it may be gone for good so don’t wait around!