Hair Loss Caused by Hormones

As early as ancient times, the Greeks have documented that eunuchs never go bald. Same happened in Egypt and China where eunuchs are often employed as servants or priests by their royal rulers. It is interesting to read these observations that are just now getting medical enlightenment from clinical studies on the effect of hormones on hair loss. Eunuchs have had their testicles taken out at an early age as social casting requirement. It’s called castration. It’s also observed that men whose testicles had been castrated as a result of battle wounds don’t go bald. Any connection here?

Yes, the testicles are primary the body organ responsible in the production of the predominantly male hormone testosterone. Historic references to eunuchs and genital-injured warriors have long suggested that baldness caused by hormones is a fact. In particular, the male hormone testosterone has a lot to do with hair loss. Only lately has it been discovered that a testosterone hormone more specifically known as dihydrotestosterone or DHT is responsible for genetically predisposed men. Baldness caused by hormones are classified as androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.

Androgenetic Alopecia or Male Pattern Baldness

Male pattern baldness or MPH, medically termed Androgenetic Alopecia to describe genetic predisposition, is the major cause of hair loss, accounting for about 95% of its causes. It is caused by DHT reaching the hair follicles to inhibit hair growth and eventually produce fine nearly invisible hair strands that easily fall off. DHT gets overly produced by the instigation of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase triggered by some genetic instructions most likely passed onto the male by the X chromosomes coming form the mother’s side.

In addition, prostate disorders notably the non-cancerous benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlargement of the prostrate gland has been known to cause this loss due to the inability of the prostrate gland to expel DHT that it uses for cell division. This causes excess DHT to form in the body in males who are otherwise not genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia.

DHT Hair Loss is a post from: Hair Loss Treatment