We live in a vanity driven society, where everyone is driven to keep up with their physical looks. There are preferred aesthetic standards that are followed to be properly accepted into social circles. Once these standards are not met, there is a subtle unwelcome vibe that is given off by the more beautiful and superior elite of society. A sure beautifying quality is a full head of healthy, glossy hair. Unfortunately for some, this specific quality is not easily achievable. There are individuals that suffer from hair loss. This has a big impact on body image and self esteem. With society being as it is, hair loss might be a destructive factor that could damage one’s superficial image and standing. It is therefore an imperative that hair loss should be stopped and effectively treated.
Hair loss or baldness is medically known as alopecia. It can have many causes ranging from malnutrition, to fungal infections, to trauma, to radioactive treatments. A person afflicted with a condition known as trichotillomania, will have a compulsive impulse to pull his or her hair. This could lead to hair fall and hair loss. A nutritional deficiency in iron could also possibly be a cause of hair loss, as is an infection with tinea capitis, a fungus. One known side effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which is a typical cancer treatment, is hair fall and balding. There are also auto immune phenomena and numerous diseases that could cause this condition. For some, baldness is passed down through the family tree and is inherited by children from their parents and parents’ parents. There are so many possibilities of why this distressing condition comes along, but all the same, the common goal whatever the reason is to stop it from happening.
Naturally, as the body functions and metabolizes, hair and skin are continuously being shed off. To put stress to the idea, this is normal. However in a day, the usual number of hair strands lost by an average human adult person is about one hundred. In order to maintain a normal hair volume, the replacement of the hair strands should be approximately the same rate as it is lost. Hair loss becomes excessive when there is more hair lost than replaced. Its starts out as thinning which if not treated would eventually to complete hair loss or baldness.
In men, the main cause of this condition is male pattern hair loss, technically termed as androgenic alopecia. It is said that this is a hereditary condition is inherited from one’s maternal grandfather. Although there is some evidence to support this belief, it is also known that genes from both parents contribute to the eventual being of their children. The known trigger for androgenic alopecia is dihydrotestoterone, which is a more potent version of testosterone. It is often referred to as an acronym, DHT. Normal testosterone actually promotes hair growth; that is why an abnormal level in women would result into hairier than normal bodies. Some may even grow a slight mustache. But since the testosterone is in more potent form, the resulting effect is hair loss.
DHT is a male androgenic hormone that influences body and facial hair growth. It is a promoter of hair growth but could also adversely affect the prostate and the hair specifically located on the head. The mechanism of action of DHT that directly affects hair loss is still relatively yet to be understood.
For those prone to baldness, both in men and women, DHT initiates a kind of follicular miniaturization. The hair follicles on the head would start to deteriorate. As a resulting effect, the phase where hair naturally grows is shortened. Young, unpigmented hair is then prevented from fully growing and eventually maturing into more deeply rooted and pigmented hair. This pigmented hair, also called terminal hair would make up ninety percent of the hair growing on the head. Over time, the hair will thin out, and hair volume would be greatly reduced. The terminal hair would eventually grow to resemble the younger, unpigmented hair until it would fully devolve resulting in the dormancy of the hair follicle. It stops producing hair entirely which becomes the characteristic quality of balding.
A dht blocker shampoo is one of the readily available treatments for hair loss. The idea is, since DHT is the cause, eliminating it from the scalp by shampooing would also effectively eliminate hair loss and or balding. There are several companies and brands that offer a line of dht blocker shampoos.
The main ingredient to look for when shopping for an appropriate dht blocker shampoo is saw palmetto. It is a naturally occurring extract from the fruit of Serenoa repens, a small dwarf palm plant with fan-shaped leaves and that normally grows to reach a height of approximately two to four meters or three to six feet. It is grown in some parts of the southern regions of the United States. Its use and effects have been firstly discovered by the Native American Indians. The active ingredient is believed by most to be found in the berries produced by the plant that are characteristically colored a brownish black.
It is believed that an extract from saw palmetto can block the enzymes that convert normal testosterone hormones into dihydrotestoterone, or DHT. When DHT is used in forms of dht blocker shampoo for example, its effect on the scalp is that hair follicles start to re-open, making way for the possible growth of new, healthy hair. Studies show that there is evidence to back up the fact that effectively reducing DHT contributes to the maintenance of productivity and hair follicle health.
Other ingredients that make a successful dht blocker shampoo, include: azaleic acid, nettles, green tea, and pumpkin seed oil. Azaleic acid works similarly like extracts from saw palmetto. It inhibits the substance that forms DHT. The same principle applies. Less DHT on the scalp means potential hair re-growth and reduction in hair loss and baldness.
Pumpkin Seed extract or oil is also a usual component of some dht blocker shampoos. It has been proven to be very effective in terms of DHT reduction. Pumpkin seeds contain a steroid that blocks the DHT accumulation in hair follicles. As an ingredient in shampoos, it can be considered as a topical treatment for male or female pattern baldness.
Still another DHT blocker can be found in extracts from stinging nettles. The most of the extract is taken from the roots of the nettles. Concentrated tinctures made from the root can be used to combat hair loss. This is the main reason that is used in combination with other proven DHT fighting ingredients to expound their effects and to maximize possible hair re-growth. Green tea is another natural DHT blocker that could also count as a shampoo ingredient. It has DHT blocking properties that have been seen to be effective in some studies and research concerning pattern baldness.
In conclusion, choosing the right DHT blocking shampoo can be a bit of a chore, but as long as one knows the proper ingredients to look out for, it would make the task that much easier. Learn to read labels and doing a little background research before the actual canvassing of products would also greatly contribute to the ease of the shopping experience. With these in mind, the problem of male or female pattern baldness would soon be a thing of the past. With consistent and proper shampoo use, the effects would soon be noticeable and fully enjoyed.
