What is dht is it causing your acne

What is DHT? Is it Causing Your Acne?

Acne is considered a teenage problem, but in fact, a significant number of adults also suffer from acne. However, anyone can have acne breakouts, from infants to older adults.

These breakouts include the appearance of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads.

Though the market is flooded with both prescription and over the counter (OTC) acne treatments, most acne sufferers find that these treatments work only for a short while, and then seem to become ineffective. Why? What is DHT? Testosterone is the "male" hormone, and is usually blamed for aggressive behavior.

However, both men and women produce testosterone in their bodies. Testosterone is a hormone responsible for a number of bodily functions other than the sex drive, including regulating bone mass and fat distribution, building muscle, and producing red blood cells.i As the body produces testosterone, it also produces a byproduct called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Though all people have some level of DHT in their bodies, some people experience drastic fluctuations of DHT, especially during times typically associated with hormonal fluctuations, such as puberty, pregnancy, and while taking birth control. Of course, many other situations can also contribute to hormonal fluctuations within a given individual. According to one study by the University of Alabama in Birmingham, women experience acne more frequently than men after the adolescent years.ii How Does DHT Cause Acne?

What does testosterone's byproduct and hormonal fluctuations have to do with acne?

Well, for many years a lot of myths surrounded acne's causes, even within the medical community. People thought acne was caused by dirty faces, fried foods, and even chocolate.

Now researchers have identified the true cause: fluctuations in the body's levels of DHT can over-stimulate the production of oil in the facial glands, particularly in the hair follicles. The excess oil clogs the pores, creating the ideal growing ground for bacteria.

This bacteria can fill skin pores and cause a whitehead. If the whitehead is exposed to oxygen in an open pore, it becomes a blackhead. When the clogged pore becomes infected and inflamed, it leads to a pimple. This process is the same for teenage acne as well as adult hormonal acne.

Other Potential Acne Triggers Though the DHT is the trigger that causes overproduction of oil, which leads to clogged pores, there are several things that can aggravate the process, causing even more pimples

to form. This includes other hormones, both those produced naturally in the body, like testosterone, as well as those taken in the form of medication. Other medications, like corticosteroids, androgens, or lithium can encourage the production of DHT and lead to acne. Sometimes a diet heavy in dairy products and carbohydrates is also associated with DHT production and acne breakouts.iii These foods and drugs might aggravate an acne condition, but DHT is still the underlying cause. Fighting the development of DHT is the only reliable way to get rid of acne and keep it at bay.

How to Lower DHT Levels and Prevent Acne Whether you are 13 or 53, few of the acne treatments available address the issue of DHT development. Most focus on thoroughly cleaning of the face, but without lowering DHT levels, the acne product's effectiveness only lasts for a short while. The only OTC (nonprescription) acne medication available to lower DHT levels is Clearogen. In addition to blocking DHT formation, Clearogen also cleans the skin and reduces pore size.

Lowering DHT production helps the complexion in other ways, too. It prevents scars caused by acne and can prolong your skin’s youthful look by preserving its elasticity, which is damaged by DHT.iv This is especially helpful for adults struggling with acne well into their 30s, 40s, and 50s.