Growing Hair .net

In this article we will delve into the strand like world of hair and the DHT hair follicle which plays a prominent part in the most common type of balding, androgenetic alopecia.

The part of our hair that we nurture, condition, and comb is a byproduct of many contributing factors, and is actually only the hair shaft. The root resides in the layer of the skin called the dermis, which is just below the surface. The root originates in a structure called the follicle. The root of a new hair stimulates the development of a hair bulb, which brings keratin (a protein) to the growing hair. Dead hair cells then combine with the keratin, continually pushing toward the surface of the skin unless something interferes with the process. A damaged DHT hair follicle is one of the factors that can interrupt the natural hair growth and replacement cycle.

But what is DHT? DHT is short for dihydrotestosterone which is a stronger form of the well known androgen hormone testosterone. Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone by the enzyme 5 alpha reductase type 2 deep within the hair cell. It is the accumulation of DHT deep within the hair follicle, over time, that leads to both male and female pattern baldness.

The DHT hair follicle is a mere shell of its once robust self, having shrunk to a point where current growth cannot be nourished and new growth is no longer possible. As the number of damaged follicles grow in number so does the area encompassed by balding or thinning.

Male and female pattern baldness can begin as early as a person’s late teens or early twenties or very late in life. To drive home this point, I recently talked with a women who was eighty years young describing what seemed to be mid stage DHT hair follicle female pattern baldness. Certainly, there could be other factors at work in her case, such as blood pressure medications, lack of nutrition, or dehydration but from what she was describing as a general thinning void of a receding hairline, chances are it is DHT hair follicle damage resulting in female pattern baldness.

The most effective treatment against this type of balding or thinning hair (for both men and women) is minoxidil. Minoxidil works in three ways, by enlarging shrunken DHT hair follicles, prolonging the hairs life span, and stimulating resting hairs to grow.

In summary, a DHT hair follicle is a damaged hair follicle and must be treated and/or reinvigorated in some way to sustain healthy hair growth. Treating the condition before too much balding and thinning has occurred could be the single most important decision you will make as it relates to hair loss.  Early recognition translates into a very high success rate, whereas late recognition translates in to a very low success rate.

What Next? There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products (specially formulated for both men and women) which have been proven effective both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life. These specially formulated treatments can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to overcome this latest life challenge.  

Posted by GrowingHair.net

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