Testosterone and Hair Loss

Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. It is the principal sex hormone in males and the "original" anabolic steroid. Testosterone is also produced in smaller quantities in women.

The largest amounts of testosterone are produced by testes, but it is also synthesized in smaller quantities by the ovaries, and the adrenal cortex. A substantial proportion of the testosterone in women is produced from estradiol by reverse aromatization in the liver, adipose (fat) cells, and other peripheral tissues.

Free testosterone (T) is transported into the cytoplasm of target tissue cells, where it can bind to the androgen receptor, or can be reduced to 5?-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the cytoplasmic enzyme 5-alpha reductase.

Androgenetic hair loss, is frequently called male pattern baldness, or pattern baldness, because it can occur in women as well. It is caused by a genetic sensitivity of the hair follicles to DHT. This type of hair loss is more common in men, because they produce more testosterone, and hence more DHT. However, both sexes produce testosterone in their adrenal glands, and women also produce some testosterone in their ovaries, so women can also suffer from androgenetic hair loss.

Androgenetic hair loss can be ameliorated by lifestyle factors (such as diet) that reduce the production of stress hormones (including testosterone) in the adrenals, but the most effective treatment for hair loss is the use of products that block the production of DHT.