3 LETTERS THAT MAKE OUR HAIR FALL OUT

Hello Healthy Hair Tribe!

The 3 letters you need to know about when you want your healthy hair back are D-H-T. DHT is short for dihydrogen testosterone. It occurs when testosterone and an enzyme called 5a-reductase join together and form a more potent testosterone sex hormone. DHT is an androgen responsible for the development of male and female characteristics, however much less is known about the affect it has on women and puberty.

Around 10% of testosterone produced everyday by adults converts into DHT. All of us have DHT, but DHT alone does not cause hair loss. Someone genetically predisposed to hair loss has DHT receptors that trap it at the base of their follicles (like a Venus flytrap). When DHT gets trapped at the base of hair follicles, it starts to slowly take over the follicle and deters vital nutrients from entering the blood stream. Without a nutrient rich blood supply, over time an average size follicle gradually starts to shrink and suffocate the healthy hair shaft. Once the shaft shrinks and disappears within the follicle, it has about two years before there is no longer a viable blood supply attached to the follicle. Once the two years passes, the scalp becomes calcified and the hair follicle can no longer be “revived”.

DHT receptors are responsible for some hereditary hair thinning and hair loss. I say some because genetics play a role in the second main cause of hair thinning and loss (which I will explain in more detail later).

DHT Blockers

A DHT blocker (also referred to as: dihydrogen testosterone blocker, anti-androgen, androgen blocker) blocks the androgen (DHT) receptors to reduce DHT within the follicle and prevents DHT from re-entering the follicle. I like to think of DHT blockers as little Pac-Men©. Simply put, they “eat up” the DHT and relieve the hair follicle so it can return to its healthy state. Once the DHT blocker enters our system, it will start to slowly eat away at DHT buildup allowing that once suffocated hair shaft to finally be free of DHT and block it from returning. This will allow the follicle to return to a healthy state as an adequate blood supply becomes restored allowing the hair shaft to return to a normal size.

There are three known ways to block DHT from causing hair loss:

1. Prevent DHT from attaching to the hair follicle
2. Stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT
3. Reduce the production of alpha 5-reductase

We don’t know exactly how each DHT blocker available today blocks DHT. One ingredient can do one, two, or three of the above however more scientific study is needed to know conclusively.

The DHT blockers found in the pharmaceutical world are Propecia (Finasteride) which inhibits the type 2 enzyme and Avodart (Dutasteride) which inhibits both type 1 and type 2 enzymes. In the natural world, the most common DHT blocker is Saw Palmetto (in both supplements and topicals) which blocks both enzymes.

When using DHT blockers, it is very important to use them 2x a day, every single day. This will keep Pac Man© busy making forward progress to clear the DHT. If you are not being consistent with your daily maintenance, you are not going to see full benefits or results.

People ask me, “If I start using a hair product with a DHT blocker in it to reverse my hair thinning, am I going to have to use it forever?” My answer is “yes”. Since there is no cure for hair thinning and hair loss, we can only control it like going to the gym. Once we stop working out, we stop having that fit body and stamina. It is also similar to facial and anti-aging products. When you stop using these products regularly, your results revert to what is predisposed. This is called epigenetics, where the choices that we make determine the way that we age.

Using DHT blockers consistently can be the first step for you to fight hair loss! That is why it is so vitally important for us to know exactly what ingredients we are putting on our scalps and into our body because it is a lifetime commitment that can be filled with either chemicals or natural ingredients; it’s up to us to decide. The “good news” is that HEALTHY HAIR NECTAR offers three DHT blocker formulas that include Saw Palmetto: grow Black Label for Fine or Coarse Hair and grow Youth Nectar No 1. 

Wishing You Lots of Healthy Hair Love!