Baldness and Testosterone Are Not Directly Related When it Comes to Hair Loss
Baldness and testosterone levels are not directly related.
Free testosterone in the bloodstream does not have a negative effect on the hair-producing follicles, but another hormone, derived from it does.
The hormone most often blamed for male pattern baldness and one of the hormones believed to play a role in female alopecia is dihydrotestosterone or DHT.
DHT forms in the bloodstream when an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase combines with free testosterone.
Obviously, if there were none of the major hormone in the bloodstream, DHT could not be formed.
But, a lack of the primary male hormone would cause a number of different health problems, even in women.
Ideally, we would like to achieve a balance.
But, the balance can be thrown off by diet, lack of exercise, illness and simply the aging process.
Both men and women experience hormonal changes between the ages of 40 and 60.
In women, it is referred to as menopause.
Some researchers say that there is a male menopause, too.
If baldness and testosterone production were directly related, then there would be a decreased incidence of hair loss as men age.
As it happens, the reverse is true.
There is an increased risk, as time goes by, even though production of the male hormone often decreases with age.
When women have unusually high levels of the male hormones, their voices become deeper and they develop more facial hair.
As estrogen levels decrease following menopause, some women notice increased facial hair and deepening of their voice, as well as hair loss from their scalps.
Other women experience no unwanted effects following menopause.
We can shrug and blame genetics, but that is something of a "cop out".
Although DHT is often blamed, no attention has been paid to how high the hormone levels must be to cause hair loss.
Although baldness and testosterone levels are indirectly related, there have been no studies concerning when to take action.
You see, doctors do not believe that the amount of either hormone in the bloodstream is important.
Instead, they believe that some people's hair-producing follicles are more sensitive to DHT than others.
They say that it is an inherited or genetic sensitivity, but they don't shrug.
DHT is blamed for enlargement of the prostate and might play a role in prostate cancer.
All of this is, of course, theoretical.
Researchers and doctors alike are interested in how to lower DHT, even though sensitivity to it may be genetic.
In addition to the indirect connection between baldness and testosterone, researchers have looked at the role of sex hormone binding globulin or SHBG.
When a person has high SHBG levels, their DHT levels are naturally lower.
Increasing SHBG levels may be a subject of future study.
Today, there are several approaches that address the issue of DHT sensitivity.
If you do a little more research, you will see that there are hundreds of treatments on the market, with a varying degree of effectiveness.
Now, that you know a little more about the baldness and testosterone connection, you might want to learn how to choose an effective treatment.
Free testosterone in the bloodstream does not have a negative effect on the hair-producing follicles, but another hormone, derived from it does.
The hormone most often blamed for male pattern baldness and one of the hormones believed to play a role in female alopecia is dihydrotestosterone or DHT.
DHT forms in the bloodstream when an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase combines with free testosterone.
Obviously, if there were none of the major hormone in the bloodstream, DHT could not be formed.
But, a lack of the primary male hormone would cause a number of different health problems, even in women.
Ideally, we would like to achieve a balance.
But, the balance can be thrown off by diet, lack of exercise, illness and simply the aging process.
Both men and women experience hormonal changes between the ages of 40 and 60.
In women, it is referred to as menopause.
Some researchers say that there is a male menopause, too.
If baldness and testosterone production were directly related, then there would be a decreased incidence of hair loss as men age.
As it happens, the reverse is true.
There is an increased risk, as time goes by, even though production of the male hormone often decreases with age.
When women have unusually high levels of the male hormones, their voices become deeper and they develop more facial hair.
As estrogen levels decrease following menopause, some women notice increased facial hair and deepening of their voice, as well as hair loss from their scalps.
Other women experience no unwanted effects following menopause.
We can shrug and blame genetics, but that is something of a "cop out".
Although DHT is often blamed, no attention has been paid to how high the hormone levels must be to cause hair loss.
Although baldness and testosterone levels are indirectly related, there have been no studies concerning when to take action.
You see, doctors do not believe that the amount of either hormone in the bloodstream is important.
Instead, they believe that some people's hair-producing follicles are more sensitive to DHT than others.
They say that it is an inherited or genetic sensitivity, but they don't shrug.
DHT is blamed for enlargement of the prostate and might play a role in prostate cancer.
All of this is, of course, theoretical.
Researchers and doctors alike are interested in how to lower DHT, even though sensitivity to it may be genetic.
In addition to the indirect connection between baldness and testosterone, researchers have looked at the role of sex hormone binding globulin or SHBG.
When a person has high SHBG levels, their DHT levels are naturally lower.
Increasing SHBG levels may be a subject of future study.
Today, there are several approaches that address the issue of DHT sensitivity.
If you do a little more research, you will see that there are hundreds of treatments on the market, with a varying degree of effectiveness.
Now, that you know a little more about the baldness and testosterone connection, you might want to learn how to choose an effective treatment.
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