# DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)

Category: Hormones

Also known as: DHT, dihydrotestosterone

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a non-aromatizable androgen that Ray Peat considered the safest and most preferred steroid for therapeutic use, primarily because it cannot convert into estrogen and acts as an aromatase inhibitor itself. The special difference between testosterone…

11 passages · 2 authors · 2015–2023 · Most-cited: [Georgi Dinkov](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/georgi-dinkov/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/dht-dihydrotestosterone

## Synthesis

**Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)** is a non-aromatizable androgen that Ray Peat considered the safest and most preferred steroid for therapeutic use, primarily because it cannot convert into estrogen and acts as an aromatase inhibitor itself. [Source 4, 7] The special difference between testosterone and DHT is that testosterone is easily aromatized into estrogen, a process DHT completely avoids, making its cardiovascular and androgenic effects distinct. [Source 4] Peat argued that correcting underlying metabolic issues with **thyroid**, vitamin D, DHEA, and **pregnenolone** will usually bring DHT up to where it should be, and that direct supplementation is generally not to be messed with unless there is a very specific knowledge of a deficiency. [Source 8]

Mainstream medicine has vilified DHT for decades, blaming it for pathologies including baldness, prostate enlargement, and prostate cancer, which led to the development of *5-alpha-reductase inhibitors* like finasteride. [Source 3] Georgi Dinkov has written extensively that the evidence for DHT causing these conditions is correlational and misinterpreted; biopsies showing elevated DHT in balding scalps likely represent an adaptive, protective response, as DHT applied to scalp cells actually increases hair growth. [Source 2] Furthermore, Dinkov notes that DHT is approved as a cream in France for treating prostate diseases, and injection of testosterone (which converts to DHT) into the prostate has been shown to stop terminal prostate cancer, directly contradicting the androgen hypothesis. [Source 5, 10] The inhibition of DHT synthesis via finasteride causes severe *hypothyroidism*, with elevated prolactin, cortisol, and cholesterol, which explains the debilitating symptoms of post-finasteride syndrome. [Source 3]

DHT exerts its therapeutic effects through multiple mechanisms. It is a powerful inhibitor of both *aromatase* and *11β-HSD1*, meaning its primary effects in physiological doses are to inhibit estrogen and cortisol synthesis. [Source 9] Dinkov has emphasized that DHT is a much stronger stimulant of DNA and RNA synthesis and muscle protein synthesis than testosterone, and its anabolic effect is roughly 80% opposition to cortisol. [Source 10] Clinically, synthetic DHT derivatives like Masteron (2-alpha-methyl-DHT) have been approved since the 1960s for treating estrogen-positive breast cancer, with older studies reporting sudden and complete regression of metastatic disease within one week. [Source 1] Large-scale studies show that declining levels of DHT and other steroids in aging correlate with rising cholesterol and degenerative diseases, and administration of these hormones has strong therapeutic effects. [Source 1, 6]

Regarding practical use, Peat suggested that if DHT is warranted in cases like breast or prostate cancer, a dose of one milligram daily dissolved in tocopherol or fat is appropriate, but only after everything else is in place. [Source 8] Dinkov has stated that physiological doses up to 25 mg daily are probably safe, with Peat considering even 3–5 mg daily sufficient for pronounced benefits. [Source 9] DHT is a paracrine steroid synthesized in peripheral tissues as needed from precursors including testosterone, DHEA, and progesterone, and in reasonable doses it can stimulate endogenous androgen synthesis rather than causing suppression. [Source 9] Dinkov notes that DHT is also approved in several countries as a treatment for *micropenis*, where topical application leverages the high expression of 5-alpha reductase in penile skin to stimulate development. [Source 11]

## People also ask

### Why did Ray Peat consider DHT safer than testosterone?

Peat argued DHT cannot aromatize into estrogen and acts as an aromatase inhibitor itself, whereas testosterone is easily converted into estrogen, making their cardiovascular and androgenic effects distinct.

### How does DHT actually affect hair loss and prostate health?

The corpus describes that elevated DHT in balding scalps is likely an adaptive, protective response that increases hair growth, and DHT is approved in France for treating prostate diseases, contradicting the idea that it causes these conditions.

### What mechanisms allow DHT to oppose estrogen and cortisol?

DHT is a powerful inhibitor of both aromatase and 11β-HSD1, meaning its primary effects in physiological doses are to inhibit estrogen and cortisol synthesis, with its anabolic effect being roughly 80% opposition to cortisol.

## Related concepts

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## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Episode 11: Androgens, Testosterone, and Dihydrotestosterone

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Oct 24, 2020 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBCLRu60qI

> **Georgi Dinkov:** And just as Ray Peat has said many times, and I have written on the blog, and your listeners have probably already checked, the aging process in these huge studies of over 100,000 people shows that in both sexes there is a drastic decrease in the levels of pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA, and a decrease of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone specifically in men, while at the same time cholesterol levels increase. And because of that, separate clinical studies have shown that administration of these hormones with positive action, pregnenolone, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone, has very strong therapeutic effects. As I already mentioned, synthetic derivatives of DHT, dihydrotestosterone, let us abbreviate it as DHT, synthetic derivatives of DHT such as Masteron and Proviron, I think since 1961, are officially approved as steroids for the treatment of breast cancer, of estrogen-positive breast cancer in women. Listen, men can get this cancer too, but it is mostly encountered in women. There is an interesting article that I noticed in the Bulgarian journal Surgery from 1985, which had quite an aggressive title, roughly something like, "Administration of Masteron in women with metastatic breast cancer leads to sudden and complete regression within one week." Drastic results. Which shows that even such deadly diseases as metastatic breast cancer, for which... in most cases it is considered a terminal disease, that is, they can extend your life, but nobody is talking about cure anymore. That is, if you have reached stage four, where usually there are metastases both in the lymph nodes and in distal organs, that is, organs far from the breasts, such as the liver, brain, and even in the bones, then at that stage people talk about improving quality of life and, respectively, prolonging life as much as possible. But the prognosis for metastatic breast cancer for length of life is no more than two percent.

### Source 2 — Episode 11: Androgens, Testosterone, and Dihydrotestosterone

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Oct 24, 2020 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBCLRu60qI

> **Veselin Velichkov:** Yes, and let me ask you, because everyone knows it, bodybuilders and anyone who has read something somewhere: what is this myth about DHT and balding in men?
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** The myth is because studies have been done where, when biopsies are taken from the scalp of men who have balding, it is observed that there are elevated levels of DHT in the scalp. This does not mean, and in fact is not evidence, that DHT causes balding. In other words, when this is done, I put on my blog an article showing that when DHT is added and applied to scalp cells, hair growth increases. In other words, the accumulation of DHT in the scalp of balding men can be looked at as an adaptive effect, as a desperate attempt by the body to slow the balding process, by sending there and increasing the synthesis of this strong androgen in the scalp. Because one of the main effects of androgens, which are known both in men and in women, is hair growth. In other words, if because of some other process, and now it is more or less known what the causes are, balding begins in men, it is entirely normal for your body, which, unlike what doctors try to explain, is not trying to kill you in any way. It does what it can, according to the resources it has and the limitations of the environment. And the evidence so far that DHT causes balding does not exist. The only thing that exists are these biopsies showing that in male-pattern balding there are elevated levels of DHT in the scalp. And entirely on the basis of these studies, modern medicine decided that DHT is something bad and that a drug should be developed to reduce DHT levels, which led to the development of these antiandrogenic substances such as finasteride and androgen receptor antagonists such as flutamide, bicalutamide, and so on, which, in addition to being used to castrate men with prostate cancer or being given as a drug for balding, are also used in conversion therapy in transgender cases. That is, if a woman decides to become a man—excuse me—if a man at some point decides that he wants to be a woman, let us put it that way, because according to the official regulations sex is a choice.

### Source 3 — Lowering DHT synthesis causes severe hypothyroidism, despite higher T levels

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Jan 5, 2020 · https://haidut.me/?p=824

> Just a quick post in regards to one of the most controversial steroids out there – dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Mainstream medicine has vilified this steroid for decades and has blamed a host of male and female pathologies on it – i.e. baldness, prostate enlragement (BPH), prostate cancer (PC), PCOS, diabetes, obesity, dementia, osteoporosis, etc. One of the most popular prescription drugs in the last two decades was the 5α-Reductase (5-AR)) inhibitor finasteride, which is the drug of choice for “treating” male baldness, BPH, PC, and even PCOS. Unfortunately, a large number of finasteride users develop the so-called post-finasteride syndrome (PFS), which is so debilitating that many people with PFS commit suicide. Doctors, pharma companies producing finasteride and related drugs, public health officials, and even mainstream media continue to deny that PFS exists, despite over 1,300 individual lawsuits (see link on PFS above) brought by patients against the drug makers the vast majority of which were either settled out of court or won by the plaintiffs. There have been multiple studies on PFS and the opinion on the exact cause(s) varies, but the consensus is that the pathology is at least partially caused by the drop in androgenic tone as a result of lower DHT levels as well as reduced 5-AR expressions in virtually all tissues that express the enzyme. Upon reviewing the symptoms of PFS it quickly becomes apparent that they significantly overlap with the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Mainstream medicine and pharma executives vehemently deny that finasteride (and other 5-AR inhibitors such as dutasteride) affects thyroid function or causes hypothyroidism but there are multiple studies demonstrating elevated prolactin, cortisol, cholesterol, and blood glucose as a result of using 5-AR inhibitors, and those are classic symptoms of hypothyroidism. And now the study below states it is apparently known in medical circles that inhibition of DHT synthesis causes severe hypothyroidism, despite the elevated levels of testosterone (T).

### Source 4 — Email Exchanges — DHT

Ray Peat · Email · 2015

> # DHT
>
> The special difference between testosterone and DHT is that testosterone is easily aromatized into estrogen, and DHT isn't. There are several ways that the body can dispose of estrogen, but I haven't heard of that way of inactivating it; I don't think it happens in the body.'
>
> I think it was the drug industry, thinking of villains [DHT=BAD] to justify their otherwise crazy treatments.

### Source 5 — Episode 11: Androgens, Testosterone, and Dihydrotestosterone

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Oct 24, 2020 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBCLRu60qI

> **Georgi Dinkov:** As I said, there is already such an intervention for women, which improves the natural function, because progesterone, besides being safe itself and having beneficial effects, because it also blocks the effect of cortisol, progesterone itself is also a so-called aromatase inhibitor and will prevent conversion of testosterone into estrogen. And this is perhaps the best you can achieve from the point of view of the endogenous steroids. And of course DHT. If you can find DHT, it is very difficult to find. In most countries it is not sold at all. With one bright exception, France, where DHT, dihydrotestosterone, is sold as a cream and is approved for the treatment of prostate diseases. Let your Bulgarian endocrinologist explain this. Go and ask him: doctor, you are sitting here and telling me that DHT makes me go bald, DHT does bad things to my prostate and so on, so why is this same DHT approved in France, and approved already 40 years ago, in the form of a cream to be applied by aging men, so that their prostate improves and their hair grows back? And if he starts sneezing and coughing, as in that Bulgarian show, "Uncle, why are you coughing?", well, if your endocrinologist starts coughing, that should be a good indication that either he is lying to you or he does not know what he is talking about. But the idea is that, among safe steroids, the safest and non-prescription thing you can take is a combination of progesterone and DHEA. In order to be safe, even safer, the ratio of progesterone to DHEA should be at least two to one. I would even say at least three to one, as in our CortiNon, because DHEA, just like testosterone, converts into estrogen quite easily. And you can reduce this risk by taking it in lower doses, but to control this risk even more, progesterone is added.

### Source 6 — Declining DHT in aging linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD)

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Feb 28, 2023 · https://haidut.me/?p=2166

> Yet another study demonstrating that the “villain of all males around the world” – the dastardly androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – actually is, in all likelihood, beneficial for males, at least when it comes to their cardiovascular health. However, since CVD is one of the risk factors for prostate enlargement/cancer (which DHT ostensibly causes), the study below raises (again) serious doubts that DHT is a causative factor in prostate disease as well. I wonder how much longer can the charade known as the androgen hypothesis continue before the general public realizes it is been had.
>
> [references]

### Source 7 — Georgi Dinkov: more is not better, Russian spies, sanity, orthorexia, NAD, D3 and how to drink vodka

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jan 21, 2021 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuhf6PS2jk

> **Georgi Dinkov:** Basically, multiple studies have confirmed that if you use a non-aromatizable androgen... all of these side effects on the cardiovascular system disappear. So it's the estrogenic potential of testosterone that's really responsible for its side effects. Of course, they only manifest at a higher dosage, right? So if you take a very high dose of testosterone, then aromatize inhibitor. If you don't want to get the side effects, don't take that high dosage to start with. But if you're really, really worried, if you're that compromised health-wise, there are non-aromatizable versions, the safest of which is probably dihydrotestosterone, DHT. It cannot aromatize and is itself actually an aromatizing inhibitor. So it's probably, and I think multiple people have asked Pete and he said that DHT is by far the safest and the one he prefers the most. I think he actually, he himself ordered something from, ordered some DHT from a Chinese company called Purple Panda. So he bought some powder. I think the first package never arrived, but he said he eventually got some and he's like, he feels great on it. He prefers it to testosterone.

### Source 8 — #27: Thyroid Function & Pulse Rate  |  Weaponized Culture  |  Finasteride as an "Insane Decision"

Ray Peat · Interview · May 30, 2020

> ## DHT Supplementation
>
> **Danny Roddy:** What is your general thought on Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Things like that are not to be messed with unless you have very specific knowledge of a deficiency. Correcting thyroid, vitamin D, DHEA, and pregnenolone will usually bring your DHT up to where it should be.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Do you see it ever being warranted to supplement with DHT directly?
>
> **Ray Peat:** In something like breast cancer or prostate cancer, it can give a big push to the system. But generally, pregnenolone is the first thing, then DHEA. A strong androgen like DHT risks throwing off your neurosteroids.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** If someone needed it, what would the dose be?
>
> **Ray Peat:** One milligram daily dissolved in tocopherol or fat. But you have to have everything else in place first.
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** Why does the endocrinological industry recommend insane doses of DHEA (25-50mg)?
>
> **Ray Peat:** They simply don't know anything about their field. They are trained in an authoritarian system of obedience.

### Source 9 — IdeaLabs Forum Q&A — 11-keto DHT

Georgi Dinkov · Forum Q&A · Jul 21, 2016

> **Georgi Dinkov:** (2016-07-25) There was a study with older males which used "only" 80mg DHT daily and it found no suppression of HPGA. If you have estrogen dominance the HPGA will be already suppressed. DHT, if used in physiological doses or up to maybe 25mg daily, should help with such a problem instead of making it worse. Applied directly on the testicles, DHT should stimulate T synthesis from pregnenolone and DHEA. There are plenty of animal studies showing recovery from radiation-induced testicular damage using local administration of DHT.
>
> **ecstatichamster:** (2016-07-25) it's difficult applying it to testicles. They are very small, and the rats want to squirm away.
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** (2016-07-25) I am not saying it should be applied there, just giving it as an example that DHT can actually stimulate endogenous synthesis of androgens when used in reasonable doses. The only enzymes that I know it inhibits in physiological doses are aromatase and 11b-HSD1, so its primary effects in physiological doses are to inhibit estrogen and cortisol synthesis.
>
> **encerent:** (2016-07-25) And what would be physiological doses? up to 5 mg?

### Source 10 — The ThermoDiet Podcast Episode 114 - Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Nov 27, 2022 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twpszx115qQ

> **Tyler Woodward:** on top of these endocrine effects do you think that one of the differences between dht and testosterone and the androgenic effects of dht compared to testosterone is because it's nutrient partitioning to other cells like more like hair and um you know facial cells i guess
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** Yep, and also it's a much more powerful stimulant of both DNA and RNA synthesis and also muscle protein synthesis. The reason DHT hasn't seen that much usage as testosterone, first of all, it has bad reputation, right? It's basically like causing hair loss and causing prostate cancer. The first one may be still debatable. The second one is already not. already has multiple trials showing that with humans showing that injection of testosterone into the prostate actually stops terminal prostate cancer and the prostate expresses of all the enzymes it expresses the most five alpha reductase so when injected with testosterone it's going to convert 90 plus percent of it into dihydrotestosterone DHT, right? So any argument that injuries are bad for the prostate flies out of the window. And if that was not enough, there's a DHT cream on the market called Andractin. In Europe, it is an officially approved drug for treating prostate enlargement. So how can a part of the world use DHT to treat prostate issues? The other part of the world says, nope. This is the villain. We're going to give you finasteride or some other drugs that are blocking it. But anyways, so it looks like the anabolic effect is about 80% opposition to cortisol, right? The hypertrophic effect. And the other 20% is stimulation. of basically DNA and RNA synthesis and potentially increasing the expression of various steroidogenic enzymes. So you end up producing even more steroids. I think DHT is a much stronger androgen than testosterone excels at the latter, right? But like testosterone, it has a similar affinity to testosterone for the cortisol receptor. So most people have been taking like 100, bodybuilders usually inject on average about 100 milligrams testosterone daily, right? I don't know of anybody who's ever tried injecting 100 milligrams dihydrotestosterone daily.

### Source 11 — #06: Glutathione, Consciousness, Electronic Universe, and Statins with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jul 12, 2019 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Wo4K7UD9mpMzEcyu88MEc

> **Georgi Dinkov:** It's tied to androgenic activity. And actually in several countries around the world, dihydrotestosterone is approved as a treatment for micropenis. And I emphasize micropenis is because so far the studies that we have show that you can increase the length of the penis by applying androgens on it, but only if it's underdeveloped to start with. The evidence is much sparser in regards to whether you can have a normally developed penis and then increase the length even further by applying androgens on it. The animal studies seem to show that it is possible, at least the studies in rats and primates. And given that we are fairly close to primates, there is no reason to believe that the same thing wouldn't be achievable in humans as well. So if you can get a dihydrotestosterone, testosterone gel should also work. And in fact, in some countries, testosterone gel is the only approved treatment for micropenis because dihydrotestosterone has a bad rep. It's basically said to cause baldness and prostate problems, so they don't want to use it even in children, even in younger people. So testosterone should work because the skin of the penis has a high expression of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. So when you apply the testosterone on it, a good portion of it will convert to dihydrotestosterone. And if getting these prescription gels is not an option, other over-the-counter remedies may work as well, especially DHEA and or androsterone, both of which are reliable precursors to dihydrotestosterone, especially when applied topically. So I would use basically if DHT is being used, I would use a dosage that allows for five milligrams to be absorbed into the skin of the penis. Now, how much needs to be applied depends on the absorption rate of the product. Most of the commercial ones are designed or at least assume an absorption rate of 10%. So you would need to apply a dosage of at least 10 times higher to get effectively 5 milligrams absorbed.

_Generated 2026-07-20 from the Bioenergetic Oracle corpus._