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Reducing DHT For Hair Loss
When it comes to decreasing dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to slow or stop hair loss, most people only know one way to do it: inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.
But did you know we may also be able to lower DHT using bacteria? Or blocking androgen receptors? Or increasing DHT metabolism? Or maybe even decreasing inflammation, increasing tissue oxygen, and upping the presence of large protein molecules in our blood?
That’s why I wrote this article series. You’ve probably read click-bait hair loss articles about a certain drug, food, supplement, or regimen that claims to reduce DHT levels. But have you ever wondered how these treatments reduce DHT levels? By the end of this series, you’ll no longer have to ask this question.
We’re going to dive into all of the best (and worst) ways we can fight DHT in hopes of slowing, stopping, or reversing pattern hair loss.
We’ll start with the DHT-hair loss connection, and by the end, we’ll uncover…
- The FOUR major angles of attack against DHT – free testosterone, 5-alpha reductase, androgen receptors, and DHT metabolism
- The MECHANISMS behind each angle – and where things like bacteria, inflammation, and oxygen come into play
- The drugs, foods, and supplements targeting each mechanism – and which to avoid
- The truth: should we actually target DHT to reverse hair thinning? Maybe, maybe not.
The objective: to create a Master DHT Reduction Flowchart. This is a systematic, scientific overview of nearly all the conventional (and unconventional) ways to reduce DHT. Some mechanisms might help reduce hair loss… most won’t. But by the end, you’ll have a concrete understanding of all DHT-reducing possibilities.
This way, the next time you read an article about a certain “DHT blocker” or “DHT reducer” – you’ll instantly understand how it works, if it’s effective against hair loss, and what the dangers are (or aren’t) of trying it.
This series is educational. I do not endorse any specific mechanism as the “best” method. As you’ll see – especially in this article – some of these mechanisms are downright horrifying.
In any case, let’s get started. Our focus for this article: reducing DHT by reducing free testosterone (more on this soon).
The DHT-Hair Loss Connection
Why Focus On DHT For Hair Loss?
Since the discovery of testosterone in 1935, researchers have believed that androgens (like testosterone or DHT) play some sort of role in pattern hair loss. Their rationale? Men bald more often than women, and coincidentally, men have much higher androgen levels.
It didn’t take long for these beliefs to be confirmed. First, there was an observational study on men castrated before puberty. The findings: if a man is castrated before puberty (ie: before they start producing lots of androgens), androgen production remains suppressed throughout the remainder of his life – since the testes are responsible for producing 95% of a man’s testosterone. And interestingly, men castrated before puberty never go bald later on — possibly a result of permanently suppressed androgen production.
It was an interesting observation… But the hair loss story was still incomplete. Why? Because testosterone isn’t the only male androgen. There are other hormones made from testosterone that might be more at fault for hair loss. And if researchers wanted to create a viable treatment for hair loss, they’d need to get more specific and uncover the exact hormone causing the problem.
Then came an observational study on men with a rare genetic mutation: a type II 5-alpha reductase deficiency. This is the enzyme our bodies use to turn unbound testosterone into DHT in our scalps and prostate glands. The study’s findings: men with this deficiency suffered from poor genital development and no body hair… but they also never went bald later in life.
This narrowed the scope: maybe it wasn’t testosterone that caused hair loss… but rather DHT.
Many years later, researchers confirmed their suspicions after a breakthrough study confirmed that the hormone DHT is elevated in balding scalp regions – but not in non-balding scalp regions.
The key takeaway? It’s likely that DHT plays some sort of causal role in pattern hair loss. And if we want to reduce hair loss (or even reverse it), maybe we should try to reduce our DHT levels.
This was the basis for FDA-approved hair loss drugs like Propecia (finasteride) and off-label drugs Avodart (dutasteride). These drugs reduce DHT, and they’re clinically proven to help slow, stop, or even partially reverse pattern hair loss and hair thinning.
How Is DHT Made?
There are many conversion pathways to making DHT. But when we boil it down, all (or nearly all) DHT is made from the hormone testosterone. And for the majority of DHT creation, our bodies need these three things:
- Free testosterone. Testosterone comes in two varieties – bound and unbound. And in order for testosterone to convert into other hormones, it needs to be unbound (free) so that it can connect with other proteins or enzymes that change its structure.
- 5-Alpha Reductase. This is the enzyme our bodies use to convert free testosterone into DHT. When free testosterone comes into contact with the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, that enzyme converts the testosterone into DHT. Without the 5-alpha reductase, DHT can’t form.
- Androgen Receptors. In our cells, androgen receptors are the landing pads for androgens (like DHT). After free testosterone interacts with 5-alpha reductase and becomes DHT, that DHT needs to attach to a cell’s androgen receptor in order to exert any effect on the tissue. Without androgen receptors, DHT has no home and can’t exert its effects on cells.
If we had to break this down into a crude formula:
DHT = Free Testosterone + 5-Alpha Reductase + Androgen Receptors
Reducing DHT To Fight Hair Loss: Three Angles Of Attack
You probably picked up on this, but we just laid down three angles of attack against DHT:
- Decreasing free testosterone
- Decreasing 5-alpha reductase
- Decreasing androgen receptors
Why? Because without free testosterone or 5-alpha reductase – DHT can’t form. And without androgen receptors – DHT can’t exert any effect on a tissue (like, for example, hair loss).
So let’s dive into each angle of attack. This article only covers free testosterone. The next two will cover 5-alpha reductase, androgen receptors, and a lesser-known DHT reducing mechanism that very people ever consider.
DHT Attack Angle #1: Reduce Free Testosterone
Of all the ways to reduce free testosterone, there appear to be two major ones relevant to pattern hair loss. The first: increasing testosterone-binding proteins.
1. Reduce DHT By Increasing Testosterone-Binding Proteins
Remember how testosterone must be unbound (free) in order to convert into DHT? Well, if testosterone is bound, it can’t make that conversion. That means if we bind more free testosterone to certain proteins and enzymes, we can reduce the chances of free testosterone binding to the enzyme 5-alpha reductase and then becoming DHT.
Enter sex hormone binding globulin – a protein which binds to free testosterone and carries that bound testosterone throughout our blood. The benefit of this binding: this free testosterone is no longer free. And while that testosterone is bound, it cannot convert into DHT.
The Sex Hormone Binding Globulin-Hair Loss Connection
The more sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) – the more SHBG binds to free testosterone, and the less free testosterone is available to convert into DHT.
It’s unsurprising that low levels of SHBG are seen in young women with diffuse hair thinning, or that lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin are observed in completely bald men.
The takeaway: maybe by increasing SHBG, we can decrease free testosterone, maybe decrease DHT levels, and maybe even improve our pattern hair loss.
How to Increase Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
There are countless foods, supplements, and drugs that help increase SHBG (and decrease free testosterone). We’re not going to cover all of them. But we are going to cover one of particular interest – a supplement known as S-Equol.
S-Equol is bacterially derived from daidzein, an isoflavone abundant in soy foods.
Isoflavones may increase the production of SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) in the liver and bind to biologically active testosterone. This results in the lowering of free testosterone.
The less testosterone in scalp tissue, the less likely it will be converted into DHT – theoretically reducing the risk of pattern hair loss. In fact, this has been validated.
One study demonstrated that short-term administration of soy isoflavones stimulated the production of serum equol and decreased the serum DHT (DHT in the blood).
But do soy isoflavones also decrease DHT in scalp tissues? Unfortunately, we don’t know. There haven’t yet been any studies to confirm this. And just because S-Equol reduces serum DHT doesn’t mean we can say it also reduces scalp tissue DHT. And when it comes to fighting pattern hair loss, scalp tissue DHT is what really matters.
Can Other Proteins Bind To Testosterone And Decrease DHT?
Maybe.
There are many large proteins in our blood that bind to hormones. Albumin – for example – is the largest protein in our blood, and is similar to SHBG in that it is made by the liver. However, testosterone bound to albumin can later become unbound. As such, testosterone bound to albumin is sometimes considered part of someone’s biologically “available” testosterone.
Should We Take S-Equol To Reduce DHT And Fight Hair Loss?
Until S-Equol is studied extensively for its effects on 1) scalp tissue DHT, and 2) pattern hair loss – we won’t know if it’s a viable treatment for hair loss sufferers.
Here’s a summary so far:
This is the first major way of reducing free testosterone (and thereby DHT). There’s one more, and this one comes with much higher risk: suppressing total androgen production.
Please be warned: the following is educational. I don’t endorse any of what’s about to come.
2. Reduce Free Testosterone By Decreasing Total Androgen Production
Our brain – or specifically our hypothalamus – determines how much testosterone our bodies should produce. In fact, our hypothalamus sends this message to our testes – which produce 95% of testosterone for men. Together with this messaging, the testes then synthesize testosterone from cholesterol and send it out through our bloodstream. It’s here that our testosterone then binds to proteins and enzymes – converting into different androgens and performing hundreds of bodily functions.
You might’ve already guessed it, but if we want to reduce DHT by reducing our body’s production of androgens, we just laid out three more levers:
- Reduce androgen signaling needs from the hypothalamus
- Reduce cholesterol (and other testosterone production-signaling biomarkers)
- Reduce our testes’ ability to produce androgens
Let’s take these one-by-one. And please, don’t try any of these. Seriously. It’s just a bad idea.
1. Decrease Androgen Signaling From The Hypothalamus
Certain steroids and drugs can reduce our body’s desire (or ability) to produce testosterone. For example, steroids known as corticosteroids – through unknown mechanisms – can reduce the amount of testosterone our bodies decide to produce. This may be due to the drugs muting androgen signaling needs from our hypothalamus.
2. Decrease Cholesterol (And Other Testosterone Signaling Biomarkers)
Unsurprisingly, cholesterol-lowering and insulin-lowering drugs (like Metformin) have also been shown to reduce total testosterone production. While the mechanisms aren’t entirely clear, this may be due to brain signaling response changes. For instance, the hypothalamus might tell the testes to produce less testosterone if it senses we have lower levels of circulating cholesterol and insulin. And the less free testosterone we produce, the less there is to convert into DHT – the alleged “hair loss” hormone.
Note: these drugs and steroids are merely examples, and not meant to be misconstrued as the most potent free testosterone reducers, or the only free testosterone reducers.
The Problem With Suppressing Total Androgen Production? Shrunken Testicles
Unfortunately, when we mute testosterone production, we pay a steep price. When we manipulate our brain’s signaling so that our hypothalamus tells our testes to produce less testosterone… our testicles can actually start shrinking.
This is called hypogonadism – a condition that’s twice as prevalent in men taking statin (cholesterol-lowering) drugs. And if we suppress testosterone production for too long, our testicles can shrink to a size of complete dysfunction.
In a sense, this is “chemical castration” – taking testosterone-suppressing drugs at the consequence of rendering our testes lifeless…
…Which brings us to the extreme end up the spectrum: cutting off the ability for our testes to produce 95% of our body’s testosterone.
3. Reduce Testes’ Ability To Produce Androgens
In some forms, this is just the end-result of long-term testosterone-suppressing drug use. But at its very extreme, this is removal of the testicles.
Yes, I’m talking about castration. Yes, this is the ultimate DHT suppressor. And yes, this a terrible idea. If you’re looking to live a life with a near-absent libido, poor-to-no erection quality, depression, and possibly even a higher susceptibility to certain diseases and cancers – this is what life is like for some male castrates.
I don’t know about you, but I’d choose baldness over castration any day – chemically-induced or otherwise. So please, don’t get any ideas.
Summary So Far
We’ve just completed the first pillar of our flowchart… reducing DHT by reducing free testosterone.
The key takeaway: fighting DHT by reducing free testosterone is a bad idea… unless you’re decreasing DHT by increasing androgen-binding proteins like sex hormone binding globulin or albumin.
Above all: stay away from drugs that suppress total androgen production. While it’s not covered in this article, even treatments like testosterone replacement therapy can, over time, decrease your body’s ability to produce endogenous testosterone – or in other words, testosterone from the testes. The end-result? Hypogonadism. Which is ironic when you consider that both suppressing testosterone production and injecting testosterone outside the body can both result in shrunken testicles.
The good news: the next article uncovers slightly better ways of going about reducing DHT for pattern hair loss. The third article dives into some very effective topicals. And the final article uncovers DHT-fighting breakthroughs almost no one is talking about.
What’s Next…
In the next article, we’ll uncover DHT’s second “angle” of attack – reducing DHT by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. And if you think Propecia, Avodart, or even “natural” supplements like saw palmetto extract or pumpkin seed oil are the only ways to reduce this enzyme… think again.
Rob English is a researcher, medical editor, and the founder of perfecthairhealth.com. He acts as a peer reviewer for scholarly journals and has published five peer-reviewed papers on androgenic alopecia. He writes regularly about the science behind hair loss (and hair growth). Feel free to browse his long-form articles and publications throughout this site.
Hi Rob,
Regarding DHT, it seems that there are some racial variations at play.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235719504_Hair_Steroid_Profiling_Reveals_Racial_Differences_in_Male_Pattern_Baldness_between_Korean_and_Caucasian_Populations
The above paper measures hair hormone levels(which are a better guide) instead of serum levels.
It shows that there are some differences in the downstream cholesterol metabolism in balding Asians vs balding Caucasians though hair DHT is higher in both the balding population vs controls but there are some differences in other hormones measured
Thank you Dante. I’ll check out the study this week. This year I’m working with a medical professional to help with research for the site. I’ll also send the study to him. We’ll do some digging and get back to you if anything interesting pops up. I also saw your email and plan on getting back to you this week!
Hey Rob, first i like to say thanks for your effort digging and posting about hair loss as other nutrients promoting good health, but the problem is who to believe now?
I’ve read Choy’s Detumenscence teraphy PDF as watched his video presentation on youtube and except massaging he doesnt mention nothing from what you write about here and in your emails when opted.
No diet change, no gender matter, everything randoom yet results from doong just massage doing it for 300 days.
Thanks
Hey Goran – thanks for reaching out. The Detumescence Therapy paper and that presentation about scalp mechanical stimulation on Youtube were actually done by two separate researchers: Choy being the first, and Dr. Rei Ogawa being the second. That’s probably why Rei Ogawa didn’t mention anything about Detumescence Therapy – because he was presenting only his own research.
It’s tough to know who to trust. That’s a huge reason why I started this site: to publish research on hair loss that isn’t biased toward any treatment / drug – and to elucidate the flaws in the DHT-hair loss theory. While I do offer packages that detail my own regrowth methods and those of others with whom I’ve worked, I also provide 90% of this information for free through my articles and my email course.
Rather than ask the question, “Who do I believe?”, I think a more effective question to ask is, “How can I learn more about this topic, so that I’m informed enough to be able to distill the good information from the bad?” That’s the question I always ask when I read any study, overview, or even speak with experts in the hair loss field. Everyone comes with some bias built into them – whether it’s a doctor who’s successfully treated a condition in his or her own way (and thus has no interest in exploring alternative treatments), or a researcher who’s purely academic and doesn’t see the point in putting theory to practice. It’s hard to navigate these spaces, and the best advice I can give is to continue to educate yourself.
At the end of the day, the person you should trust most is yourself. And even then, you’ll still be wrong sometimes. I’ve certainly been wrong before!
Hi Rob, I think the causes and treatments are different for women. My hair had been thinning for years. I don’t have PCOS or elevated testosterone. I’ve been mostly able to stop the shedding by supplementing vitamin D and iron. I also do the scalp massages. The hair just doesn’t want to grow back though! Do you think that the igrow light therapy would be a good option for me? I font want to spend the $ unless I’m sure that ill at least get decent results.
Hey Sierra – in my experience, low level laser therapy seems to be particularly helpful for women. But if you’re going to invest in an LLLT treatment, please read this before making any purchasing decisions (the post is designed to help you find an LLLT treatment that works):
https://perfecthairhealth.com/low-level-laser-therapy-does-it-help-with-hair-loss/
And you’re right. Despite significant overlap, the causes and treatments of hair loss differ between men and women. The good news is that once we identify the triggers and start course-correcting, hair regrowth can manifest pretty quickly. Just see this example here of a woman with hypothyroidism and diffuse thinning. She went on thyroxine (thyroid drug) and a multi-vitamin with no success. But when she started near-mega dosing with zinc, her hair regrew entirely and within four months:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746228/
So let’s keep troubleshooting! Send me an email.
Best,
Rob
Rob, I just saw the response. I decided against forking out the $600 for now. I have diffuse thinning so my hair still looks relatively normal, even though I’ve lost a lot over the years. I’m going to try the zinc and see how it goes. I’ll definitely report back. – Sierra
Sierra, instead of forking out $600, you can consider buying red LED light of 660nm wavelength, I have great success combining the light with Rob’s scalp massage. I bought the Abi light from Ebay and shine it at my scalp for 8 to 10 minutes everyday after the massage. The light is very strong so you do not have to shine it for too long
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252758078088?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I also bought a cheap light stand from Ikea to go with it
http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/00110640/
The key is doing this religiously everyday without fail and you will see result very soon
Han – what an interesting and economic approach! How long have you been doing the combined therapies?
Congrats on your progress!
Just a quick question Rob, are free testosterone the only ones that can convert to estrogen? And from my understanding, bounded ones doesn’t?
I remember having a check on my testosterone levels a couple years back and it exceeded lab’s test scale. (1225 ng/dl) The lab even had a note that said “TESTOSTERONE LEVELS CHECKED TWICE” which to my understanding means its probably not normal to have that much so they have to check it twice.
I had a gut feeling it was causing my hair loss so I went to GP, but she just scoffs of it off and said it has nothing to do with it as hair loss is “genetics”. Also remembered posting it on the hairloss forums and said it has nothing to do with it as well so I just put that in the backburner and forgot about it.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to check on my free testosterone since people were saying at that time that it has nothing to do with hair loss. (Although I have a gut feeling my free testosterone could be pretty high as well)
Right now though, I’ve been seeing that too much testosterone can actually convert to estrogen.
Hey Ray,
The old dogma was that free testosterone was the only type of testosterone that could be metabolized into testosterone byproducts, like DHT. But nowadays, research shows that even bound testosterone in our blood can unbind, become free testosterone, and convert into testosterone byproducts as well. So, any testosterone can aromatize into an estrogen (like estradiol).
It’s possible that testosterone is a factor in your hair loss (in reality, testosterone derivates are a factor in nearly everyone’s hair loss). But without more information about your other hormone levels (for instance, estradiol), we can’t really say much. In many cases, hormone ratios matter just as much, or even more, than the absolute values.
Do you have any other data? What type of hair loss are you experiencing (diffuse thinning, male pattern hair loss, etc.)? For how long? And what are you on a Norwood scale?
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob,
Decided to just send you pictures through email.
I’ll keep you updated with my progress!
Hi Rob,
Perhaps a dumb question but here goes: is it possible to actively maximise one’s DHT levels and not suffer from male pattern baldness?
I ask because as I understand (please correct if wrong) DHT has many positive effects with regards to sexual health and physical health more generally. I had taken a few steps to increasing my DHT levels – consuming sorghum etc. I felt and saw the sexual/physical benefits but I also felt that my hair was thinning as a result too (also more acne).
Is there a way to keep DHT levels high or above-average without it impacting on hair.
Thanks for all your research and work.
Cheers,
Samborn
Hey Samborn,
There are no dumb questions here! And to answer your question — the DHT-hair loss connection is highly controversial.
https://perfecthairhealth.com/men-stop-thinking-your-hair-loss-is-due-to-high-testosterone/
On the one hand, scalp tissue DHT is associated with pattern hair loss. On the other hand, serum (blood) DHT has little to no correlation to pattern hair loss, and may even be associated with little to no hair thinning. I just did a DUTCH hormone test and tested beyond the upper limit on both DHT and 5-alpha reductase activity. The DUTCH hormone test is a urine test that more closely aligns with serum testing than tissue testing (at least for many of the hormones included in the test).
The bottom line is that you should be able optimize your DHT levels and still keep your hair.
Best,
Rob
Thanks so much for the kind reply. My apologies for being so slow in following up.
What are the ways/methods are there for preventing scalp tissue DHT but not affecting serum level DHT?
Also and unrelatedly, where do you recommend getting high quality dermarollers? If I am remembering correctly, in one of the success story interview transcripts (Joseph) you did for your product, the person had a recommendation for a good quality dermaroller but didn’t say in the interview (he said to email him but the email wasn’t in the transcript?)
Hope you are well and look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind Regards,
Samborn
Hey Samborn,
In all likeliness, the best way to reduce scalp tissue DHT without reducing serum DHT is either 1) finasteride injections into the scalp, or 2) a reduction of inflammation in the scalp (since DHT is found to upregulate in wounds, and is likely the case for those susceptible to MPB).
A huge amount of evidence suggests that mechanical tension is one of the starting points to the chronic scalp inflammation implicated in MPB. So, I’d recommend trying to reduce that tension via 1) the mechanical stimulation exercises, 2) botox injections in the muscles connected to the galea aponeurotica, 3) acupuncture on the muscles connected to the galea aponeurotica, or 4) dermarolling.
In terms of getting a decent dermaroller — typically you can find these on Amazon (or even Walmart’s online store). Look for a 1.5mm, 192 needle count roller.
Best,
Rob
I think this procedure is more complicated than u have to do it, the problem is not DHT or testosterone but thier bindning to the androgen receptor, the body specially male need testo and DHT, so these estrogenic stuff is not healthy for a male body. I would rather chose nettle root wich binds to the androgen receptor both in the scalp and prostate. This will actually increase free testosterone but when the receptors are blocked it dosnt matter.
Great points, Charlie! The issue isn’t with serum DHT, it’s with DHT bound to androgen receptors in scalp tissues. Have you tried any other androgen receptor blockers / binders?
Hi Rob,
First off you’re amazing man! I stopped reading blog articles in regards to hair loss after a while as most are “journalists” who have no idea how hair loss works. You my friend, however write clearer than a college professor!
Anyway, I’m a 19 year old who has been experiencing hair loss for a few years. I’ve also had moderate to severe acne for the past 7 years. After getting tired of the problem not going away on its own, I tried using Finastride and Accutane but their side effects such as depression and brain fog were making me go crazy. This is where I started self-experimenting at first with Keto, and now more extensively with a lot of your how-to’s.
I have a few questions:
A) what do you think of Keto and its effects on acne improvement?
B) I have a problem with overproduction of sebum which makes sense due to my extremely high levels of Testosterone. More specifically, my acne and hair loss resurfaces primarily during periods when my body becomes sexually aroused. Do you think that your book can be of assistance for this specific problem?
C) Do you think your book can also help with my acne problem?
D) Is it problem to do the techniques in your book while being on Finastride/Minoxidil?
I’ll probably end-up buying your book anyway, but answering these questions will give me a better understanding on how to use it.
Thanks again for your amazing work!
Hey Sina,
Thanks for reading. These are great questions and deserve full blog posts for answers. Given that this is just a comments section, I can’t do the answers full justice — but I’m happy to give directional insights where possible.
A) Keto’s effects on acne likely have to due to microbial die-off from a decrease in calorie count. At least, that’s probably what happened to me when my acne went away while trying keto. See this article:
https://perfecthairhealth.com/the-truth-about-low-carbohydrate-diets-and-hair-loss/
B) Interestingly, acne is likely both androgen-dependent and estrogen-dependent — meaning the ratios of both in any tissue matter significantly. It’s also connected to the microbiome. I’ve got a lot of articles on this, but I’d recommend starting here:
https://perfecthairhealth.com/p-acnes-bacteria-may-cause-hair-loss-heres-what-to-do-about-it/
https://perfecthairhealth.com/small-intestinal-bacterial-overgrowth-hair-loss-sibo-gut-health/
The book advocates for a moderate carbohydrate paleo-based diet (with modifications). It helps some readers with their acne, but since acne’s pathology varies for each individual, you might need to focus more on SIBO and/or the gut.
C) Potentially (see above answers), but in general, acne is often more complicated than just a change in diet.
D) Not at all. In fact, the research indicates that mechanical stimulation + finasteride and/or minoxidil are all synergistic.
Best,
Rob
If you have high SHBG you are more likely to experience negative symptoms related to excess estrogen and/or low testosterone:
-Menstrual irregularities -Weight gain (pear shape weight gain) -Mood changes (depression or anxiety) -Breast tenderness, breast fullness -Fatigue -Bloating and/or water retention
-Decreased muscle mass (inability to gain muscle mass even while lifting weights)
Low SHBG is most often seen in women who are hypothyroid (meaning they have low thyroid function) and women who are menopausal.
We know that both thyroid hormone and estrogen stimulate SHBG release, so low levels are often associated low hormone levels.
Interesting article but…
I would like to share my personal experience (which may help other by the way) and would appreciate your point of view.
I’m 28 and here are my serum results :
Free Testosterone : 31.2pmol/L (reference : 31pmol/L => 94pmol/L)
Total Testosterone : 14.9nmol/L (reference : 8.64nmol/L => 29nmol/L)
DHT : 3.48nmol/L (reference : 1.13nmol/L => 4.13nmol/L)
I do suffer from MPB (only vertex balding).
It’s interesting to notice that :
1)my free T is really low (the minimal reference)
2) my total T seems okay (although still low considering I’m only 28)
3) my DHT pretty hight.
I don’t think reducing my free T would be a great idea because it’s already low. And here are my two questions :
1) Do you think my low free T is a consequence ? I mean if my free T is low it’s because a lot of it has been used to be turned into DHT so there’s no more free T ?
2) If I have a lot of T -> DHT conversion it is because my total T production is not that high. So my body is trying to compensate this “weak” total testosterone by producing more DHT ?
Hey Anthony,
It’s hard to determine what’s going on at a tissue-level (scalp skin) with serum hormone panels. Low serum testosterone is potentially a consequence of several different issues — medications, alcohol, diet, lifestyle (i.e., a lack of sleep), etc. Without more information, it’s hard to delineate.
In cases of low testosterone and high DHT, this is often seen in people with some source of systemic inflammation. This might be a food allergy, or any of the things we’ve covered above. Everyone’s body is different so it’s hard to extrapolate beyond this.
Best,
Rob
Hey,
Great article!
So, I was on Propecia for 10 years. It worked well, but lost its effectiveness the final 2 years. I have since gone on Avodart, and on it for 1.5 years now.
Unfortunately, Avodart has not been as helpful as my prime days on Propecia. My free testosterone has increased, but my DHT must be close to nil (since I’m on .5 mg of Dutasteride every day, from the pharmacy).
What are some ways to reduce free testosterone? I suspect, since my scalp is oily and inflamed, that the tree testosterone is negatively impacting the hair.
Thank you!! Btw, I’m 32.
Hey Johnny,
Thanks for the info. The waning efficacy of finasteride, dutasteride, and other 5-AR inhibitors for androgenic alopecia is well-documented in the literature. The reality is that if you’re already taking dutasteride — and took finasteride for 10 years — I wouldn’t recommend looking for more ways to reduce DHT.
Rather, I’d look for treatments that work synergistically with finasteride or dutasteride — even for people who have stopped responding well. Have you tried microneedling?
Best,
Rob
Hey Rob,
Thanks for such an informative article.
I had read somewhere that eating too much of protien(whey, animal etc.) increases the testosterone levels in men. Not sure if it’s free testosterone. Do you think this might be a factor responsible for increased DHT in scalp regions causing more hairfall in men suffering from MPB.
Thanks,
Chandan