So men with male pattern baldness have higher levels of DHT...?

[SimpsonKnight]

Is that an accurate assessment? I am quite illiterate on this subject so please correct me wherever I need correcting. I just want to make sure I have the facts straight regarding hormones and male pattern baldness. So DHT is basically the male sex hormone. Its responsible for forming the male reproductive system in the fetal stage as well as secondary characteristics such as facial hair later on in life. Therefore when people say "testosterone" they are actually referring to DHT which is the specific form of testosterone that maintains a man's male features. There are other forms of testosterone but they are not relevant to male pattern baldness. DHT is also what causes male pattern baldness because of some sort of genetic defect which causes an individual's hair follicles to react negatively to the presence of DHT and basically die. Propecia and similar medications decrease the amounts of DHT in the body by preventing the free, unspecialized testosterone from transforming into DHT. This of course makes sense.

Because it is DHT that causes hair loss would it then be accurate to say that men with very aggressive male pattern baldness and especially those who encounter it early on in life generally have high levels of DHT? Therefor they would also have very prominent secondary sexual characteristics such as a lot of facial hair of significant muscle mass? While men with low or medium-low levels of DHT, basically those who do not have very prominent secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair and muscle mass, are a lot less likely to face aggressive hair loss?

Anyways, if someone could read this over and get back to me that would very, very awesome.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

No

Your follicles are just more sensitive to DHT.

There is no correlation between balding and body hair or any other masculine characteristics. It is simply a matter of your genes telling your hair follicles that when DHT forms near them, for whatever reason we do not know, they start a degenerative process and produce smaller and smaller hairs. The pattern of balding, rate of balding, and if you bald at all is entirely pre-determined and the only two things we have to fight it is growth stimulators like minoxidil or anti-androgens to prevent the balding process from occuring.

Sadly, these are not always effective. Hopefully there will be a better method in the near future but I will not get my hopes up until I see something.

 

[s.a.f]

:agree: This

 

[slipy]

Because it is DHT that causes hair loss would it then be accurate to say that men with very aggressive male pattern baldness and especially those who encounter it early on in life generally have high levels of DHT? Therefor they would also have very prominent secondary sexual characteristics such as a lot of facial hair of significant muscle mass? While men with low or medium-low levels of DHT, basically those who do not have very prominent secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair and muscle mass, are a lot less likely to face aggressive hair loss?

no, this assumption is wrong and im a living proof of that. I barely have any facial hair and i'm underweight without any muscle. yet i started to go bald at 21. nothing to do with how high your dht is. Follicle senstivity to androgens is the crucial factor.

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

This is actually well documented:

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/hair-lo ... oss-myths/

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medical ... nasteride/

Hope this helps.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

damn wish there were some real hair researchers or doctors here to help anwer

I answered the question accurately. The links at bernstein medical are, if I remember right, also accurate and support what I said. Wikipedia and other sources of information also support what I summarized.

It isn't hard to figure it out on your own, either.