Dr. Mary Claire Haver

And so that is a very, very, but that is a very good point.

And they should be.

So testosterone is actually metabolized in some tissue into estradiol.

And so in the ovaries, you see it metabolized into estradiol.

In the bone and in the peripheral tissue, there's androgen receptors, but there's also estrogen receptors.

So you're seeing it broken down there and where you're getting some of the benefits.

But it's also converted into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone.

And so DHT is important because, exactly, you're pointing to your face because of acne.

So the thing to understand, you know, I keep talking about receptors because I'm a nerd.

There is no testosterone receptor.

There is no DHT receptor.

There is an androgen receptor.

And so that is a lock.

that is then signaled by two keys, DHT and testosterone.

So only testosterone and DHT bind to the androgen receptor.

And so DHT binds with twice the affinity and five times as sticky, right?

It doesn't want to come off.

And the DHT is where you're going to see the androgen receptors affect the skin and the hair.

And that's why it's the villain when it comes to male pattern baldness or excess testosterone hair loss that we see in women as well as acne.

So when we're trying to treat acne and hair loss, that's the minoxidil, these various things that are actually blocking the conversion to DHT.