Can Shampoo Block DHT? Hair Loss Solution That Derms Don’t Want You To Know About

What if there was a shampoo that not only blocked DHT, but also stopped your hair from thinning and falling out? 

Believe it or not, there is such a shampoo, and it’s available without a prescription. 

Keep reading to learn everything about this amazing solution that dermatologists don’t want you to know about.

What Does DHT Do To Your Hair?

DHT is a hormone that stands for dihydrotestosterone. 

It is an androgen (male sex hormone) that is produced in small amounts by the testes in males, and in much larger amounts by the adrenal glands in both sexes. 

DHT plays a role in the development of male characteristics, such as facial and body hair growth, deepening of the voice, and so on.

DHT is a hormone that’s also responsible for hair loss. 

When there is an overproduction of DHT, it can cause the hair follicles to shrink and produce thinner and shorter hairs. This can eventually lead to baldness.

While there is no cure for baldness caused by an overproduction of DHT, there are treatments available that can help slow down or stop the progression of hair loss such as Finasteride, Minoxidil, and low level laser therapy (LLLT).

Read More:

Does DHT Shampoo Actually Work?

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that DHT shampoo works, but there is not a lot of scientific research to support this. 

The reason why some people believe that it works is because DHT is a hormone that is associated with hair loss.

However, the truth is that hair loss can be caused by a variety of factors, and DHT shampoo may only work for people who are losing their hair because of high levels of DHT.

By stopping DHT from latching onto hair follicles, your hair will continue to grow. 

For people who are losing their hair for other reasons, using DHT shampoo may not have any effect.

Ingredients To Look For In A DHT Shampoo

There are many different DHT blocking shampoos on the market. 

But not all of them actually help your hair and stop further hair loss.

In general, DHT shampoos will include many different ingredients. Some ingredients stop DHT while others do not.

Regardless, the below ingredients can make your DHT blocking shampoo more effective.

Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is a drug that’s used to treat different types of fungal infections. It works by preventing the fungus from growing or reproducing.

How ketoconazole affects DHT isn’t completely understood, but it’s thought that ketoconazole may block an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme is responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. 

By blocking the enzyme, ketoconazole may decrease the amount of DHT in the body.

Biotin

Hair Growth Biotin

This vitamin does not actually block DHT. However, biotin is important for overall hair growth.

DHT blocking shampoos that have biotin in them can help stimulate hair growth in areas that are thinning or balding.

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to inhibit 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). 

DHT is a hormone that contributes to hair loss, so by inhibiting its production, pumpkin seed oil may help prevent hair loss. 

Pumpkin seed oil may also block androgen receptors, thus preventing DHT from binding to them and causing its effects.

Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil has long been used as a natural remedy to promote hair growth. 

The reason why it is effective is because it contains nutrients that are necessary for the scalp and hair follicles to function properly. One of these key nutrients is rosmarinic acid, which has been shown to stimulate hair growth. 

Additionally, rosemary oil helps to unclog hair follicles and improve circulation to the scalp, both of which are essential for healthy hair growth. 

DHT Shampoo Ingredients To Avoid

On the flip side, there are some ingredients that you should make sure are not in your DHT blocking shampoo.

 If you want to stop your hair loss, avoid these bad hair ingredients.

Parabens

There are a few ways that parabens can cause hair loss. 

The most direct way is through contact with the scalp. Parabens can be absorbed through the skin and into the hair follicles, where they can disrupt normal hormone functioning. 

This disruption can lead to hair loss. 

Additionally, parabens can also increase oxidative stress in the scalp, which can damage the hair follicles and lead to hair loss.

Sulfates

Sulfates can also cause hair loss. 

One is by damaging the hair follicle, which can lead to the follicle becoming weaker and eventually being unable to support the hair. 

Sulfates can also strip away the natural oils that help protect and nourish the hair, leading to dryness and breakage. 

In extreme cases, sulfates can actually dissolve the proteins in hair, leading to weakened and frizzy strands that are more prone to breaking.

Synthetic Chemicals

Finally, synthetic chemicals can cause hair loss. 

One way is by disrupting the normal hormone balance in the body. Hormones play a key role in regulating many bodily functions, including hair growth. When there is an imbalance of hormones, it can lead to hair loss.

Another way that synthetic chemicals can cause hair loss is by damaging the scalp. The scalp is a delicate area and it can be easily damaged by chemical pollutants in the environment or by harsh chemicals in hair products. 

When the scalp is damaged, it can interfere with normal hair growth and lead to hair loss.

How To Choose A DHT Shampoo

When you walk down the aisle at your neighborhood pharmacy you will see many DHT blocker shampoos to choose from.

How do you decide which DHT shampoo to go with?

It might be hard to choose, but we have some tips that might make the process easier.

Review The Ingredients

Look at the label and make sure there are certain DHT blocking ingredients.

Ingredients that we think will provide the biggest bang for your buck are ketoconazole, rosemary oil, pumpkin seed oil, and biotin.

Make sure these ingredients are higher on the list or market as active ingredients. Being higher on the list means that there is a high concentration.

Read Messaging On Bottle

Anti-DHT shampoos will claim many different things about how they will help your hair.

So if the DHT blocker shampoo says that it will completely revive your hair or grow your hair back in a few weeks, you should be careful.

To make sure these claims are accurate, check online studies or ask your dermatologist.

Don’t Base Decision On Cost

Many people think that something that costs more is better. This simply isn’t true.

While some expensive DHT blocker shampoos are effective, this is not the case all of the time.

Therefore, don’t just buy the most expensive hair loss shampoo. The best DHT blocking shampoos might be significantly cheaper.

Test It

The best way to know if anti hair loss shampoo works is to try it out.

Many shampoos are already cheap and brands also give you money-back guarantees if you don’t see results.

So, you should try shampoos out for three to six months to make sure that they work for your scalp and hair.

When Should I Use DHT Blocking Shampoo?

The good part about DHT blocking shampoos is that you can use them like you would for normal shampoo.

However, we have learned some tricks on how to use a DHT shampoo:

  • Use DHT Blocking Shampoo Twice A Day: Unless the product label says that you shouldn’t, we would consider using it more often so there is more contact between the shampoo and your scalp.
  • Don’t Use DHT Shampoo More Than Twice A Day: Sometimes you need to do less to do more. Using shampoo twice a day can help stop hair loss, but using it more than two times can potentially cause harm to your hair.
  • Leave Shampoo In Hair For Three Minutes: In general, shampoo makes little contact with your scalp which makes it less effective. Try leaving the shampoo in for longer before you rinse it off.

If you use DHT blocking shampoos properly, you can reduce the stress of DHT on your hair follicles. To prevent more hair loss and increase hair growth, try to use DHT blocker shampoos regularly.

Using DHT Blocker Supplements

DHT Blocker Vitamin Supplements

There are several potential benefits to using DHT blockers with DHT blocking shampoo. 

First, using a DHT blocker along with a DHT blocking shampoo can help to ensure that you are blocking as much DHT as possible from reaching your scalp. 

Second, using a DHT blocker along with a DHT blocking shampoo can help to combat any resistant binds of DHT that may have formed on the scalp. 

Finally, using a combination of a DHT blocker and a DHT blocking shampoo can also help to improve the overall health of the hair follicles.

See Also: Best DHT Blocker Supplements To Stop Hair Loss

Putting It All Together

Male pattern hair loss is a common problem for most guys.

But this doesn’t mean you have to accept your thinning hair. You can slow down the cause by blocking DHT using a DHT blocker shampoo.

The best DHT blocker shampoos include natural DHT blockers like ketoconazole, pumpkin seed oil, and rosemary oil.

In addition to knowing which ingredients are good at treating hair loss, you should also consider ingredients that cause hair fall like parabens and synthetic chemicals.

Finally, you can pair DHT hair growth vitamins with DHT hair loss shampoos to really stop hair fall and bring down DHT levels.

Fact Checked by our Director of Dermatology We know that understanding how your skin and hair work can seem scary, so my team and I devote our time to thoroughly researching every single topic and product we write about. We hope you find our reviews helpful and informative.


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