Hair loss is something most men expect but can still be embarrassing. You’re frantically searching the internet for treatment or cure and spend hours reading medical pages. You can stop looking now! You have probably not heard about DHT so keep reading and you’ll be an expert by the end of this article.
To get a better understanding of DHT and how it works, first need to learn about hair growth. Although the thought of hair loss is unsettling, take comfort in knowing that it does not happen overnight. There are four stages of hair growth that occur on your head. The anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen phase.
The anagen phase, where the hair follicle takes shape and works to produce hair, lasts for about two to six years. The catagen phase (or transition phase), when the hair stops growing and detaches from the follicle, spans only a few weeks. The telogen phase (or resting phase), lasts about three months. Lastly, the exogen phase, when shedding occurs and you’ll notice about 100-150 hairs falling out each day, lasts 2-5 months. This may sound like a lot of shedding, but is in fact typical.
The exogen phase happens as the hair follicle is growing a new hair which is pushing the old one out. But how does this all relate to hair loss? Hair loss sets in as the hair follicles get smaller and smaller. This makes it harder for hair growth, the anagen phase becomes shorter while the telogen phase becomes longer. Male hair loss is a slow progressive process and usually spans several years. Meaning you have time to stop it, and this is where you can start using DHT to your advantage.
DHT is known as dihydrotestosterone. It is a male sex hormone (an androgen) which which is derived from testosterone. An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into DHT. Male hair loss happens as DHT then binds to receptors on hair follicles, causing them to shrink and stop producing hair altogether. You’re probably wondering why it happens to you. Male-pattern hair loss has a genetic predisposition, but scientist have not come up with an answer as to why it happens in some families and not others.
Yes, there are some key things you should know about. You’ll probably come across loads of sites on the internet claiming that all different types of products act as DHT blockers - shampoos, pumpkin seeds or even emu oil. But there’s only one type of DHT blocker known to work, so before you go buying emu oil, please reconsider.
Finasteride is a DHT blocker that is only available with a doctor’s prescription. Finasteride works by binding to the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, stopping the conversion of testosterone to DHT. By stopping DHT production, finasteride can slow down, stop or even reverse hair loss.
Finasteride. available as Propecia, is a daily pill available by prescription only. So yes, you’ll have to make an appointment to get a prescription. This may be inconvenient, but is certainly worth it to stop hair loss. Here at Medzino, we make it simpler for you. You won’t need to leave the comfort of your home to get that prescription. Just schedule a two minute consultation, and if you’re eligible for finateride, we will send it straight to your home, hassle free.
Finasteride will not stop hair loss overnight and patience is needed. It can take a couple of months before you start seeing a difference, and you’ll have to keep taking it for the effects to last.
As with all medications, Finasteride comes with potential side effects such as low libido, erectile dysfunction and even depression in rare cases. Pregnant or breast feeding women need to avoid contact with finasteride.
You need to remember to take finasteride daily, but if you forget, don't double up. Just take your next scheduled dose.
So the reason behind hair loss is DHT. It shrinks hair follicles, stopping hair growth and leading to gradula hair loss. By using DHT blockers, you can stop DHT from working and halt hair loss. You may even help new hair growth.