Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - FAQ

It is common to come across claims in popular journals and online articles that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the primary cause of a variety of problems that men may experience. According to these sources, high levels of this hormone will induce hair loss, oily skin, balding, and prostate problems. Occasionally, it is said that DHT can be cancerogenic and that all men should use finasterides or other DHT blockers to remain healthy. Before you break out in cold sweat, note that recent research on DHT keeps revealing different findings. In fact, the vast majority of those clickable claims are misleading and lack credibility, based on cherry-picked studies and with the effect of persuading men to deprive themselves of manliness. It is important to ask ourselves - why don't we investigate those claims before blindly accepting them as truth? Just a rhetorical question.

- Will high DHT accelerate balding?

Male pattern baldness is a hereditary condition related strictly to genes and hormones. So, should men aim at decreasing free-to-bound androgens in the body, thus stripping themselves of manliness? Many men naturally have high DHT levels and/or abuse highly androgenic AAS, yet never experience hair loss. Why?

- DHT can only intensify balding if you're genetically predisposed to it. Meanwhile, the influence of androgens on balding is only the tip of the iceberg.

Balding is "genetic" = based upon the responsiveness of androgen receptors (ARs) in the dermal papilla of hair follicles and the longevity of hair follicles. Here, "if it is written in your genes that you will be bald," then no hormonal manipulation will prevent that from occurring. Instead, reducing DHT or testosterone may only partially slow down the process.

Genetics aside, androgens infrequently stay for hair loss and receding hairline (less than 30% of men who experience balding, about 5% of the male population). Most frequently, hair loss results from elevated cortisol, low testosterone or high estrogen levels, and/or aging (along with the deficiency of vitamin D and iron). In this puzzle, paradoxically, the hormone of masculinity - DHT - has a fair potential to prevent hair loss by inhibiting aromatase, occupying estrogen receptors, and reducing basal cortisol secretion.

How many fall into DHT blockers and never find it to be a solution? That's right, under multiple circumstances this can intensify hair loss.

- Can high DHT levels induce/escalate problems related to the prostate gland?

- Diseases related to the prostate gland, especially enlargement, may be exacerbated by high DHT activity, but only in conjunction with high estrogen levels, since estrogen plays a decisive role in most diseases correlated with the prostate. Also, it's essential to take into account the dihydrotestosterone and androstenone ratio (its most optimal ratio should be approximately 1:1). On the other hand, a couple of studies disclosed that high DHT levels together with low estrogen levels may REVERT symptoms of an overgrown prostate gland. A similar favorable relationship in this field comes to optimally high DHT levels with melatonin, where deficiency of any of these two will exacerbate unwanted processes.

- What kind of problems may induce DHT blockers?

- PFS; Post-finasteride syndrome. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, like e.g., finasteride, can trigger a long list of adverse effects correlated with the unresponsiveness of androgen receptors (ARs) in the body. How it comes next, depends on the location of the ARs affected. You may start feel less manly, beginning with poor well-being, libido, and mood (brain AR), up to reduced muscle mass (muscle AR) and bone mass (bone AR) or hair growth (hair AR), erectile dysfunction (brain and tissue AR), and several other endocrine disturbances followed by distorted cross-talk. Moreover, it's crucial to underline that DHT acts in estrogen receptors, blocking them and suppressing T -> E2 conversion. Therefore, low DHT levels may also escalate problems with gynecomastia and other high estrogen-related symptoms.

For hair loss? The basic protocol (if not actively medicated; this is not a medical advice):

- Gotu Kola: 200mg in the morning
- Ashwagandha: 300mg in the morning
- Grape Seed Extract: 500mg in the morning
- P5P: 50mg in the evening
- A stack of biotin (5mg), vitamin D (6k IU), C (1g), E (500 IU), zinc (30mg), and selenium (100mcg) in the evening
- Gingko Biloba: 200mg 1h before sleep

Advanced biohacking: GHK-Cu and TB-500

- Hormonal profile: balancing estrogen, prolactin, and cortisol (adaptogens and dopamine detox come in handy) + melatonin regulation (sleep hygiene and/or 2mg of melatonin 2h before bedtime).

- If you're experiencing insulin resistance/are diabetic, start here - managing blood glucose.

- If you're experiencing scalp disorders (symptoms such as itching, scaling, white flakes, red patches, dandruff), start here - diagnosis, then addressing correspondingly.

- Examine iron and CBC (best, add to the list hormonal profile), then react correspondingly.

/ Minoxidil is a last resort (regularly have insight into your estradiol and SHBG).

/ Topical finasteride is not recommended.

/ If hair is of an actual "high importance" - hair transplant is the substitute that leaves no questions and masculinity-threatening side effects.

- What kind of benefits come with a proper DHT level?

This highly androgenic hormone is responsible for body and brain masculinization and plays an essential role during puberty. Its activity differentiates an embryo into a male, eventually making boys become men.

DHT is responsible for the development of male primary and secondary sex characteristics (penis, testes, and scrotum growth / body and facial hair growth, voice deepening, muscle strength. etc.). It directly regulates brain masculinization, libido, erectile functions, well-being, cognitive functions, and inhibits excessive estrogenic and prolactin activity.

The king of androgens also optimizes anabolic processes in the body, such as muscle and bone growth, preventing development of female-specific features. It also prevents estrogen-mediated growth plate closure, counteracts cortisol's suppressive activity, stimulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and indirectly promotes GH and IGF-1 secretion.

Read more: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dihydrotestoster-45243042