Dihydrotestosterone or DHT is a male sex hormone present in males and females that can cause hair loss. Androgenic alopecia is caused by the bodies over sensitivity to this DHT hormone resulting in the miniaturization and shorter lifespan of the hair.
Hair starts to grow at the dermal papilla where papilla cells divide and differentiate to form new hair follicles/hairs. The papilla is where you find the connection to the body's blood supply. Small capillaries feed each follicle with essential nutrients. DHT sensitivity is usually a genetic problem that is inherited from one or both sides of the family. When it attaches itself to the receptor cells of genetically predisposed hair follicles, DHT prevents proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing the needed nourishment to sustain life in these follicles and with this, also causes them to shrink. When we refer to miniaturization the hair is usually reproduced at a slower rate meaning it either shortens the growing phase or lengthens its resting stage. The result is thinning hair and as the hair shaft becomes finer with each new growth cycle the hairs eventually stop emerging altogether.
