Taking good care of your hair is an important component of cosmetology. It is one of the first things that everyone sees, and good hair can greatly improve someone's general appearance.
Anatomy of Hair[1]
Hair follicles are located within the first two layers of your skin—the epidermis and the dermis. An individual hair follicle consists of a few different parts; it is primarily the root (dermal papilla), the shaft (or strand), and the sebaceous gland that we are concerned with.
There are three phases to hair growth: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Anagen begins at the root, where the hair gets its blood supply and nutrients it needs to grow, taking anywhere between 2 to 7 years in this stage. Catagen follows, transitioning the hair from a phase of growth to a phase of rest for approximately two weeks. In this stage, the hair detaches from the blood supply at the root. In telogen, the hair sheds, detaching the shaft from the follicle within a period of 4 months.
Dihydrotestosterone and Male Pattern Hair Loss
Male pattern hair loss is primarily caused by genetics and dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. High levels of DHT can shrink the hair follicles and cause hair loss.[2] A DHT blocker such as dutasteride, finasteride can be used to prevent further hair loss, and minoxidil can be an effective treatment for hair loss. However, if you have testosterone suppressed, you likely don't need to block DHT.
- ↑ "Hair Follicle". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved Nov 6, 2023.
- ↑ Cleveland Clinic. (12/20/2022). DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24555-dht-dihydrotestosterone