DHT Blockers: Can They Stop Hair Loss?

Anyone talking about “hereditary hair loss” is also talking about “DHT.” Find out from our HAIR & SKIN experts how androgen is linked to hair loss and how you can regulate your DHT levels with natural DHT blockers.

You can also read about alternative or additional ways to support your hair growth.

What is DHT?

Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT for short, is the most biologically active form of the sex hormone testosterone. The enzyme 5-alpha-reductase plays a decisive role in this process. It is responsible for ensuring that testosterone can be converted into DHT in the first place. DHT blockers are treatments that prevent DHT from binding to androgen receptors (ARs) on hair follicles, which can cause hair loss. DHT is a more potent androgen than testosterone.

If the DHT level is out of balance or if there is a genetic hypersensitivity, this can lead to numerous health problems – including heart disease, impotence, or hair loss. Hair thinning and a receding hairline can affect both men and women. However, the effects of DHT mainly affect male pattern baldness/male pattern hair loss, but can also play a role in female pattern baldness.

Would you like to find out more about DHT and its role in the male and female body? Then we recommend the article with the same name by our HAIR & SKIN experts.

In this article, we look at the question of how DHT can lead to hair loss and what you can do about it.

How is DHT related to hair loss?

When hair falls out due to DHT, the cause is either excessively high levels of DHT (as a result of an illness, for example) or a congenital hypersensitivity to DHT.

The latter is the cause of hereditary hair loss, also known as androgenic alopecia, which affects as many as 80 percent of men and 50 percent of women. To be clear, we are not referring to body hair or facial hair, but baldness patterns on the top of the head.

The result: DHT causes the hair follicles to become narrower. The anagen phase of your hair, also known as the growth phase, is shortened and new hair can only grow back to a limited extent.

But how do you find out whether DHT is responsible for your hair loss or whether one of the many other possible reasons for hair loss is behind it?

Researching the cause: Is DHT responsible for my hair loss?

With the help of a blood test from your trusted doctor, you can find out in no time at all whether you have an elevated DHT level. Unlike testosterone, whose levels are highest early in the morning, DHT levels remain constant throughout the day.

A good thing to know: DHT levels can also be too low. This can result in libido disorders and even impotence - effects that can also occur in the event of an overdose or incorrect use of DHT blockers. This is just one of the reasons why it is urgently advisable to consult a doctor before taking any measures.

What can you do to balance your DHT levels?

Regardless of whether your DHT levels are actually too high or your body is particularly sensitive to the DHT present: once it has been established that DHT is responsible for your hair loss, the next step is to balance your DHT levels.

Incidentally, when people talk about DHT blockers, they are actually referring to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. They work by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for converting the male sex hormone testosterone into DHT. This means that the testosterone level itself does not change. Inhibiting the enzyme merely ensures less production of DHT.

The following two options are available to you as DHT blockers, or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors:

1. Intake of DHT blockers via food or natural supplements

There’s a reason they say: you are what you eat. In fact, you can also influence your DHT levels in a natural, gentle way through a targeted diet.

Natural DHT blockers include:

• Black Tea

• Green Tea

• Linseed

• Fenugreek seeds

• Nettle

• Saw palmetto extract (Serenoa repens)

• Sulforaphane: mainly found in broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi and other cabbage and radish vegetables

• Pumpkin seed oil: in a smaller study from 2014, the number of hairs in men with hereditary hair loss increased by 40 percent after 6 months by taking a South Korean preparation containing pumpkin seed oil, among other ingredients*

*Source: Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Before you start adding dietary supplements, it makes sense to have your healthcare professional test your blood for nutrient deficiencies. depending on the results, supplementing with biotin or iron may also be a good idea. You can also ask your healthcare professional about shampoos that may help.

2. Lowering DHT levels with the help of medication

Many drugs used to treat thinning hair and hair loss also work by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, such as Propecia. This was originally intended for the treatment of prostate enlargement often related to prostate cancer and was initially used off-label for hair loss. It is now considered a proven treatment for hair loss.

It should be noted that the potential effect of Propecia only lasts for the duration of use and is therefore only suitable as a temporary treatment for hair loss. Due to its possible side effects, the drug is also not approved for women of childbearing age.

The mechanism of action behind Minoxidil, another proven drug to combat hair loss, is unknown. However, it is assumed that the effect here is less due to a DHT blockade and more due to improved blood flow to the scalp. This means that the hair’s roots are better supplied with nutrients, therefore becoming stronger and creating more healthy hair.

It’s always important to consult with your healthcare professional to discuss any side effects if you choose to take medication for hair loss. Some side effects can include a decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased muscle mass, along with other issues.

Other ways to give your hair growth a boost

Your hair loss has nothing to do with DHT, but has other causes – stress or hormonal changes, for example? Or would you like to give your hair regrowth and hair health a boost in addition to using DHT blockers?

Don’t worry, at HAIR & SKIN we have the right solution for all cases of hair loss and stimulating the hair growth cycle. The first step with us is always a detailed consultation including a professional hair analysis to determine the cause of your hair loss. The consultation is free of charge and is always without any obligation to commit.

If you then decide to have a treatment with us, you can boost your hair growth naturally and gently with an autologous blood treatment, for example. The hair loss treatment uses only the body’s own substances and is one of the proven effective hair loss treatments that can prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.

If your hair loss is already more advanced, we can recommend the FUE sapphire hair transplant. Thanks to the finest sapphire blades, this state-of-the-art method of hair transplantation involves minimal incisions, minimal scarring and maximum natural results.

In most cases, the donor hair is taken from the back of the head, which is an area where the hair that grows there is largely unaffected by DHT.

Do you need help deciding whether you should have your hair transplant in Switzerland, Germany or somewhere else entirely? You can find an overview of the advantages and disadvantages here.

Conclusion: DHT blockers as a remedy for hair loss? It depends

The use of DHT blockers as a treatment option can be useful if you suffer from increased DHT levels or an increased sensitivity to DHT due to genetic predisposition or an illness.

However, the first priority should always be to determine the exact cause of your hair loss. A blood count will clarify whether an excess of DHT or an undersupply of nutrients could be involved in your hair loss.

As an alternative or in addition to treatment with DHT blockers, autologous blood treatments and/or a hair transplant can support you on the way to achieving that full, thick head of hair of your dreams.