Hormones and Hair Loss

Hormones are natural chemicals produced by glands in the body to perform various functions ranging from reproduction to emotions, general health to well being. One of about a dozen glands situated around the body releases hormones into the bloodstream and those hormones trigger effects according to the cell receptor that receives the hormone. Although the cells in the body are constantly bathed in various hormonal chemicals, it is the receptors in individual cells that determine if a hormone will ‘bind’ with a particular cell. Hormones can induce further receptors to be created within a cell to attract other hormones within the body. Hormonal activity in the body is responsible for a vast myriad of functions and hormonal balances within the body are finely tuned. It is easy to see that any changes in that balance can have dramatic effects on the body, including hair loss.

Male Hormones

The primary male hormone that determines male characteristics is Testosterone. This hormone is part of the Steroid family of hormones and is produced mainly in the testicles. How much testosterone is produced is controlled by another hormone released from the brain, LH (luteining hormone). As a result of testosterone being manufactured in the testicles, the effects of this hormone are normally noticed when a male reaches puberty and the testicles develop and a male reaches adulthood. These changes in the male bring on body development such as body hair, a change in the vocal chords, muscular enhancement, and in some cases, the onset of hair loss. A relative of the hormone Testosterone is DHT, and it’s this hormone that is believed to be the main cause of hair loss. It is thought that DHT causes the growth cycle of a hair to become shorter, and the resting phase of the hair to become longer, thus resulting in fewer and shorter hairs.