Excessive conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) leads to destruction of hair follicles

Conversion of excess testosterone into DHT contributes to hair loss.

For much of the 20th century, scientists and doctors blamed testosterone for hair loss. This was due to the observation that castrated males did not lose hair as they aged – even if they had bald twins or other bald relatives.

This conclusion didn’t make sense considering that once males reach age 30, testosterone levels start to decline by roughly 10% each subsequent decade. Since this is the same age when most men start to experience hair loss, the culprit had to be something other than testosterone.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, researchers started focusing on DHT, a derivative of testosterone. Once made by your body, DHT attaches to hair follicles and literally causes them to shrink – making it impossible for the damaged follicles to grow hair. This is often known as male pattern baldness.

A research study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that DHT levels were 4 times higher in balding males compared to their non-balding counterparts.

The ironic part of DHT is while it kills hair follicles on the scalp, it can stimulate hair growth on other parts of your body such as the chest, back and ears!

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