Is there a hormone that causes hair loss? Is my hair loss permanent or are there steps I can take to reverse or slow it onset and progression? In this article we will answer these questions and hopefully help you gain a better understanding as to how you can marginalize the hormone that causes hair loss and keep your hair for many years to come. Balding and/or thinning hair is a process that affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. It seems that for most men and women the tipping point between a full head of hair and that small, and always growing bald spot, is somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55, even though it can begin as early as ones teenage years. Women tend to experience hormone related hair loss a little bit later but the age parameters are generally about the same. The hormone that causes most instances of hair loss is dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is produced when the androgen hormone testosterone comes in contact with the hair mediating enzyme 5 alpha reductase type 2 deep within the hair cell. Once this occurs this potent androgen binds with receptors deep within the hair follicle. When this process starts to occur it marks the beginning of the end for each hair follicle. DHT driven hair loss is responsible for nine out of every ten cases of balding in men and one out of every four in women. While it may be difficult to determine in advance who will experience this type of balding one clue is heredity. This type of balding is also known as male or female pattern baldness and can come from either side of the family tree. So if your father has lost much of his hair on top and/or is seeing a receding hair line, or your mother is showing signs of general thinning you should consider taking preventative action earlier rather than later. So now that we know the hormone that causes hair loss is dihydrotestosterone, our next step is to either block its production or minimize its impact on the hair follicle. The FDA approved treatment most often used for this type of hair loss is minoxidil. Minoxidil is a topic treatment that is suggested for both men and women. It is generally considered to be the most effective solution for neutralizing the hormone that causes hair loss but sadly it doesn’t work for everyone, especially those who have already experienced a great deal of balding. Another negative is that once it is discontinued any benefits will be lost and the balding process will resume. What to do next? There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products  (specially formulated for both men and women) which have been proven effective both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life. These specially formulated treatments can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. If you feel as if the hormone that causes hair loss (DHT) is responsible for your balding and/or thinning hair the sooner you take action the better, due to the progressive nature of both male and female pattern baldness.