Is Suppressing Dht A Good Thing?

[joe101 0]

I know that reducing DHT combats the atrophy of hair follicles, which is obviously a good thing from our perspective, but I'm still a little concerned about the possible effects of suppressing DHT before I start taking Finasteride.

 

I've read that DHT is actually a beneficial hormone for our bodies in some ways, and that reducing it could lead to either too much testosterone, or alternatively increasing the effects of estrogen - neither of which is desirable.

 

But does having male pattern baldness indicate that you have too much DHT, in which case supressing it with Finasteride is OK and harmless?

 

I'm just a bit concerned about artificially messing around with hormones - but Finasteride seems to be OK for a lot of men who take it, so perhaps I'm worrying about nothing.

[s.a.f 0]

Cant really say for sure but its a risk you take with meds.

[Timuk 0]

joe,

 

I have been on Finasteride for about 3 months now and can say that I do not appear to have suffered any side effects, if I had or do and they outweigh the benefits I would stop taking it. I also assume as this drug has had all the necessary approvals that it should be ok to take.

 

As SAF says, its a risk you take and this applies to all medications, people have to look possible benefits against the possible risks and take their choice.

 

Tim

 

[s.a.f 0]

I suppose DHT must be there for some reason (other than making us look like c*nts).

[Pondle 0]

DHT is generally agreed to have no 'essential' role in the adult male body, because men with 5AR deficiency appear to suffer from no major health problems aside from their abnormal genital development.

 

I've seen guys on body-building forums claim that finasteride made them 'flabby' or weaker or whatever, but there doesn't seem to be any scientific evidence to back up these claims - in fact, quite the reverse. One study found that testosterone administered to older men in conjuction with finasteride had the same beneficial effects on physical performance and body composition as testosterone alone, "suggest[ing] that high serum levels of dihydrotestosterone are not essential for these beneficial effects of T in men".

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/3/1502

 

Another study looked at body mass index (BMI): "The larger testosterone increases seen in finasteride-treated patients in the lower baseline testosterone tertiles were associated with significant mean reductions relative to placebo at year 4 in body mass index (BMI), ranging from 0.6 to 0.8 kg/m2. No statistically significant between-***** difference was found in BMI in the upper testosterone tertile."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?D...Pubmed_RVDocSum

[joe101 0]

DHT is generally agreed to have no 'essential' role in the adult male body, because men with 5AR deficiency appear to suffer from no major health problems aside from their abnormal genital development.

 

 

that's reassuring - I guess my genitals aren't going to 'develop' any further

 

Still, I take everything I read on the net with a pinch of salt, because you read conflicting things all the time, which is why I was concerned.

 

Finasteride only suppresses some of the DHT, I believe anyway.

 

 

 

joe,

 

I have been on Finasteride for about 3 months now and can say that I do not appear to have suffered any side effects, if I had or do and they outweigh the benefits I would stop taking it. I also assume as this drug has had all the necessary approvals that it should be ok to take.

 

As SAF says, its a risk you take and this applies to all medications, people have to look possible benefits against the possible risks and take their choice.

 

Tim

 

yeah, I know it's a risk. But I'll tell my GP that I'm going to start taking it, just in case.

[Timuk 0]

Joe,

 

if you get it via Doctor Ashcroft he will send a letter with it to give to your GP (if you want), I just posted it to my doctor. I think he has to do this as part of some Medical protocol ?

 

Good luck with the it and hope it works for you

 

Cheers

 

Tim

[joe101 0]

I've recieved the generic Finasteride (not proscar) from Dr. Ashcroft, and started taking it, so fingers crossed.

 

is taking more than 1mg a day unadvisable? I just ask because it's quite tricky cutting the pill into fifths evenly, so some segments are bigger than others.

 

[Pondle 0]

is taking more than 1mg a day unadvisable? I just ask because it's quite tricky cutting the pill into fifths evenly, so some segments are bigger than others.

 

It doesn't really matter that much, because 5mg/day doesn't really suppress that much more DHT than 1mg/day - take a look at the graph below. It's just less efficient!

 

[joe101 0]

Thanks Pondle - I'll stick with 1mg/per day

[RedApple 0]

What is regarded as the most effective form of application for dht suppression - tablets/shampoo/other?

[Pondle 0]

What is regarded as the most effective form of application for dht suppression - tablets/shampoo/other?

 

No shampoo can suppress DHT.

 

Think about it - you briefly wash your hair with a shampoo, the ingredients of which cannot probably penetrate very deeply. Testosterone is converted into DHT by enzymes called 5 alpha reductase. Type I 5 alpha reductase is predominant in the skin and liver. The Type II 5 alpha reductase isozyme is primarily found in prostate, hair follicles as well as the liver, and is responsible for two-thirds of circulating DHT.

 

Type II 5AR appears to be more problematic for hair loss than Type I, because Merck trialled a Type I inhibitor in animal studies and it had little effect on hair.

[RedApple 0]

I see, I wasn't ware that the conversion to DHT was a process undertaken deep in the scalp.

 

So im guessing you're voting tablets then. Are there any efffective natural supplements? I know the instant reaction is that natural products never work but surely there must be something?

[Pondle 0]

I see, I wasn't ware that the conversion to DHT was a process undertaken deep in the scalp.

 

So im guessing you're voting tablets then. Are there any efffective natural supplements? I know the instant reaction is that natural products never work but surely there must be something?

 

No, there aren't any proven natural supplements. Although Saw Palmetto is often included in scam hair loss or BPH-treatment products, there is no evidence that it is effective as a DHT inhibitor 'in vivo' (i.e. in the body). The latest study of it for BPH showed it to be no better than placebo. Check out this article which debunks the myth that it's useful for hair loss.

 

If Saw Palmetto or any other 'natural' supplement was able to inhibit DHT, then products containing it would have to be regulated by agencies like the FDA in the US and the MHRA in the UK, because they would be classed as drugs.

 

When it comes to hair loss, there's no easy way out. There's no angle, no cheap and side-effect free 'natural' solution. The ONLY way to inhibit DHT is by using a 5 alpha reductase inhibitor drug, i.e. finasteride or dutasteride. These are only commercially available as pills, though it is possible to make topicals using the active ingredient - both drugs are absorbed systemically, hence why pregnant women shouldn't even touch them.