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Home / Conditions / Hormonal / Excess DHT
Hormonal · condition 07 of 18
Excess DHT and Hair Loss: How to Tell If It Is Yours
The hormone behind pattern thinning, and how to tell if it is your driver.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Nina Ross, NDServing all of Metro Atlanta
Quick answer
DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. In follicles that are genetically sensitive to it, DHT shortens the growth phase a little more with every cycle.
Read the full answer
The hair those follicles produce gets finer, shorter and lighter until it stops surfacing. This is why DHT-driven loss follows a pattern at the crown, part and temples while the back and sides stay dense.
Sensitivity matters more than the amount of hormone circulating, so normal lab values do not rule DHT out. The reliable read is what the follicles look like under magnification. We do that at 200x at Nina Ross Atlanta in Sandy Springs. Serving all of Metro Atlanta.
- Sensitivity matters more than the hormone level.
- Normal labs do not rule DHT out.
- Miniaturization shows at 200x before thinning does.
What you might be noticing
Symptoms in your words, and ours
Tap the one that sounds like you to see why it happens and how we figure it out.
01The hair on top is finer than the back
Regional miniaturization✋🏾
Why it happens
Finer hair on top with dense hair at the back is commonly linked to DHT-sensitive follicles, which sit at the crown, part and temples.
How we figure it out
We read both zones at 200x in the same session. The difference in hair thickness is the finding.
02My temples are moving back
Frontotemporal recession✋🏾
Why it happens
Recession at the temples is commonly linked to DHT shortening the growth phase of sensitive follicles there.
How we figure it out
We look for miniaturized hairs at the temples and compare them with the back of your head.
03Hairs are shorter and will not grow long
Shortened anagen phase✋🏾
Why it happens
When hair stops growing past a certain length, it is commonly because the growth phase has shortened. DHT shortens it a little more each cycle.
How we figure it out
We read hair length and thickness at 200x to see how far the cycle has shifted.
04I can see scalp through the top in bright light
Reduced density over the vertex✋🏾
Why it happens
Seeing scalp in bright light usually means fewer hairs per opening and finer hairs, both commonly linked to ongoing DHT pressure.
How we figure it out
We count hairs per follicular opening at 200x, which drops before thinning is obvious.
05It runs in my family
Inherited androgen sensitivity✋🏾
Why it happens
Follicle sensitivity to DHT is inherited, so family history is useful information about your pattern and pace.
How we figure it out
Tell us who in your family thinned and where. It helps us read your stage and set a baseline.
What causes it
What is actually driving it
- 01
Inherited follicle sensitivity
The receptor sensitivity of your follicles is inherited. Two people with identical hormone levels can have entirely different outcomes.
- 02
5-alpha reductase activity
This enzyme converts testosterone to DHT locally in the scalp, so activity at the follicle matters more than the number on a blood panel.
- 03
Conditions that raise androgen activity
PCOS and insulin resistance increase androgen activity, which increases the DHT load reaching sensitive follicles.
What we see that others miss
Miniaturization is visible before thinning is
Long before you see scalp, the follicles are already producing thinner hairs. That change is measurable at 200x.
We look at how many hairs share a single follicular opening and how much their thicknesses vary within one small area. Both drop as DHT pressure continues.
Catching that stage is the difference between holding density and trying to rebuild it.
How we treat it
What care looks like here
We document miniaturization at 200x and compare the affected zone to the back of your head, which gives us your baseline. Care combines a restorative program with growth signal therapy for follicles that are still producing, plus attention to the systemic drivers that raise androgen activity.
- 01Document miniaturization at 200x
- 02Set your baseline
- 03Support follicles still producing
PRP Therapy
Growth signals placed into the scalp to wake follicles that are still viable.
Growth Factors Therapy
Concentrated growth signals applied to the scalp to support follicles that are still active.
One visit. Real answers.
The $99 Hair & Body Discovery
No prepOne visitYour time, your pickNo judgmentServing all of Metro Atlanta
- One-on-one scalp health session with a certified trichologist
- 200x magnification read of your scalp, on screen, while you watch
- A full-body biofeedback scan
- Your Hair & Body Discovery Report, delivered the next day
Our promiseYou'll leave actually seeing what's happening, your scalp at 200x, the systems behind it, with your report the next day. If you don't, the $99 is on us.
Fully HSA/FSA eligible. 0% financing for qualified applicants.
You are welcome here
We are well-versed in us.
Pattern thinning under textured hair hides behind volume until it is advanced. We look at the scalp itself rather than judging by how full your hair looks styled.
Relaxers, braids, locs, weaves and heat. Share your full hair history. It is welcomed, never judged.
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Related conditions
Often confused with this
Male Pattern Baldness
Predictable pattern, variable speed. The earlier you read it, the more you keep.
Female Hair Loss
The widening part and the thinner ponytail, explained honestly.
PCOS Hair Loss
Higher androgens thin the crown and thicken hair where you did not ask for it.
Questions, answered
Honest answers before you commit
My testosterone came back normal. Can DHT still be my problem?
Yes. Sensitivity at the follicle is the deciding factor, and that does not show up on a standard panel. The scalp read is what answers it.
Can miniaturized follicles come back?
Follicles still producing fine hair can often be supported back toward thicker hair. Follicles that stopped producing a long time ago are a much harder ask, and we tell you which you have. Results not typical. Individual results will vary.
Is this the same thing as male pattern baldness?
Male pattern baldness is DHT-driven miniaturization in men, following a predictable pattern. Excess DHT activity can drive thinning in women too, usually along the part and crown.
Will blocking DHT fix it?
Only if DHT is actually your driver, and only for follicles that are still producing. That is why we read the follicles first.
How do you measure progress?
We photograph the same zones at 200x each visit and compare them with the back of your head, so change is measured against your own baseline.
References
Results not typical. Individual results will vary.
Let's find out what your hair is trying to tell you.
You'll see it, or the $99 is on us. Serving all of Metro Atlanta.
Nina Ross Atlanta, 8735 Dunwoody Place, Suite 290, Sandy Springs, GA 30350. Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.