Foods rich in lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, and mangoes naturally block DHT production. Biotin-rich foods like berries, liver, legumes, oily fish, and bananas condition the skin and scalp creating an overall healthy environment for strong hair.
Snack on nuts such as almonds and cashews. Other substances in food that naturally inhibit DHT, including L-lysine and zinc, can be found in almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, and cashews. Including nuts in your diet on a daily basis can help naturally reduce your DHT levels.
Research from clinical trials suggests that a normal dose of finasteride can lower DHT levels by 70 percent, which is enough to slow down, stop or reverse hair loss in most men. This reduction in DHT levels means that your hair follicles are no longer under constant damage due to the effects of DHT.
Increased DHT (dihydrotestosterone) can be caused by conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer, male pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia), and excessive male-pattern hair growth in females (hirsutism).
It happens when their ovaries create excess androgens, including testosterone, which leads to increased DHT levels. This causes a variety of symptoms, including irregular periods, excessive hair growth (hirsutism) and acne.
However, with various treatments and therapies, you can slow the effect that DHT has on hair follicles. Currently, there is no permanent reversal or treatment. One of the most effective therapies for people experiencing the early signs of male or female pattern baldness is PRP hair restoration.
There are a number of naturally occurring ingredients that are believed to block DHT and help to slow male pattern baldness. These include; saw palmetto, stinging nettle, pumpkin seed oil, lycopene, green tea, caffeine and fenugreek – to name a few of the most common.
It is formed primarily in peripheral tissues of the body, where it exerts its effects. Testosterone converts to DHT by the action of the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme at these target tissues. [1] This isolated synthesis at a specific target tissue makes DHT primarily a paracrine hormone.
Sebum, or oil, that is secreted onto the scalp, actually contains DHT, and can further aggravate hormone-related hair loss. So, if you wash your hair every day, you actually decrease the amount of DHT that can contribute to hair loss by decreasing the amount of oil on your scalp.
Niacin, one of the B vitamins, promotes healthy blood flow to the scalp which keeps the follicles healthy and helps blocks DHT. This nutrient is also essential for other cosmetic purposes, such as aging and general health.
Getting a blood test is the most common way to establish your DHT levels, but a saliva panel test is considered more accurate. These tests are not generally available through your GP although your doctor should be able to point you in the direction of a specialist who can run these tests for you, privately.
Research shows that adequate levels of zinc in the body can block the production of DHT, which is an androgen. Excessive amounts of androgen in the body can shrink hair follicles, which inhibits hair growth and results in hair loss. However, severe zinc deficiencies are not common.
In addition to blocking DHT, caffeine is an effective anti-inflammatory. Although you likely associate caffeine primarily with the cup of coffee or tea you drink in the morning, it is a powerful health ingredient. Furthermore, caffeine can help improve blood flow.
Bananas
Bananas also help maintain healthy DHT levels by helping you develop a healthy gut and prevent your body from overproducing DHT. Bananas are your go-to DHT blocking food!
Practicing a healthy lifestyle can help reduce DHT levels naturally. This includes regular exercise, quit smoking, reduce stress, take time to rest, and do scalp exercises like massages to reduce tension and increase blood flow. The herbal route is also an effective natural way to reduce DHT in the body.
DHT blockers are safe and effective for most men, so you don't have to worry about weird DHT blocker side effects like hairy palms from scrubbing these shampoos into your hair. However, some DHT-blocking medications may cause other side effects — including sexual ones.
Not necessarily. The relationship between testosterone and male pattern hair loss is complex. Only a small percentage of testosterone gets converted to DHT, and if you have high DHT levels, you may have more severe health issues that need to be addressed.
Vegetable foods rich in zinc contain phytosterol, which blocks DHT production and reduce areas on the scalp and hair follicles where DHT can attach itself. These foods include spinach, white mushroom, kale, etc. Foods rich in lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, and mangoes naturally block DHT production.
Eggs contain cysteine, a key amino acid for hair growth & found in hair keratin. Boiled or cooked eggs act more as DHT blocker than raw ones.
Minoxidil. Also known as Rogaine, minoxidil is a DHT blocker used to treat male pattern hair loss, and is known to be helpful in treating female hair loss as well. The treatment is FDA-approved for women and you can get minoxidil without a prescription. It can take up to a year to see results with minoxidil (AAD, 2022) ...
Hairs remain in this phase for 2 to 6 years. The longer it lasts, the longer the hair grows. Normally, around 80 to 85 percent percent of the hairs on the head are in this phase. Catagen lasts only 2 weeks.
So, by age 20, around 20 per cent of men may experience its onset, rising to 30 per cent of 30 year olds and 40 per cent of 40 year olds. Interestingly, figures for hair loss by the age of 50 appear to vary wildly depending on which country you are in.
5-alpha reductase enzyme activity, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), increases in balding scalp, DHT increases in balding scalp, Number of DHT receptors on the hair follicles increases in balding scalp, Blocking conversion of testosterone to DHT delays progression of AGA.