Hem About hair loss Causes DHT
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DHT - The male hormone that causes thinning hair

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a steroid hormone that is stronger than testosterone. The hormone is key to the growth of body and facial hair on men and is essential for men to reach sexual maturity.

Later in life, DHT has a negative effect on hair by attacking the hair follicles and causing them to shrink. The longer the hair follicle is exposed to DHT, the more diminished it becomes. This is the most common cause of male pattern baldness.

DHT also shortens the growth phase of hair over the years, which means that each strand of hair has a shorter life span. This causes the hairs to become thinner and shorter, as well as decreasing in number. These factors together contribute to a noticeable thinning of the hair.

How does DHT work?

DHT is created in the body when an enzyme called alpha-5-reductase reacts with testosterone, a hormone we all, but especially men, carry.

At a certain age, DHT begins to attack hair follicles, causing them to shrink. Ju längre tid hårsäcken utsätts för DHT, desto mer förminskad blir den.

Eventually, the hair follicle can no longer produce hairs and is then put into dormancy. 3-6 months after the resting phase has started, the hair follicle dies.

DHT also shortens the lifespan of hair over the years. Dessa faktorer tillsammans bidrar till en märkbar förtunning av håret.

DHT can also cause hirsutism – a clinical condition that affects women with high levels of the hormone and gives them increased male hair growth.

Solutions to hair loss caused by DHT

Hårtransplantation

PRP-treatment

If your hair loss has been going on for a long time or if you want a permanent solution, a hair transplant is the right choice for you.

A hair transplant involves taking hair follicles from an area rich in hair and moving it to an area poor in hair. This is where the new hair follicles become attached and new hair begins to grow in the area.

The hair follicles that are transplanted are taken from an area (usually the neck) where the hair is genetically encoded not to be affected by DHT. In some cases, it is also possible to remove hair from the chest, for example.

 Read more about hair transplantation

Medicines

There are medications that reduce the effect of DHT.

Medicines containing the substance Finasteride inhibit the above-mentioned enzyme (5-alpha-reductase) that causes testosterone to form DHT. This then leads to reduced hair loss.

Minoxidil is the substance that has been approved the longest as a hair loss remedy. The substance increases the diameter of blood vessels, resulting in increased blood flow in the arteries. Dilated blood vessels at the hair follicles allow more oxygen and nutrients to reach the area, leading to increased hair growth.

The disadvantages of medicines are that they can have side effects and must be taken regularly to achieve and maintain their effect.

 Read more about medicines for hair loss

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