Dihydrotestosterone, a hormone the body makes from testosterone. Women produce testosterone too, in smaller amounts.

Why does DHT matter for hair?

In follicles that are sensitive to it, DHT gradually shrinks the follicle so each new hair grows finer and shorter. Over years this reads as a widening parting or a thinner crown. Dermatologists call this miniaturisation and it is the biology behind pattern hair loss, which the NHS says usually runs in the family.

Can a food supplement act on DHT?

No food supplement in Great Britain holds an authorised claim about DHT, hormones or hair loss, and Dense makes no such claim. Only authorised claims in the Great Britain register may be used.

Who should you talk to about hair thinning?

A pharmacist or GP. The NHS advice is to see a GP if you are worried about your hair loss.

Hair thinning, hormones and what a food supplement can honestly claim

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a hormone the body makes from testosterone. In people whose follicles are sensitive to it, DHT gradually shrinks the follicle so each new hair grows finer and shorter. This is the biology behind pattern hair loss in women as well as men. Understanding it helps you ask the right questions. It does not turn a food supplement into a treatment, and this page will not pretend otherwise.

At a glance

Question	Plain answer
What is DHT?	Dihydrotestosterone, a hormone the body makes from testosterone. Women produce testosterone too, in smaller amounts.
Why does DHT matter for hair?	In follicles that are sensitive to it, DHT gradually shrinks the follicle so each new hair grows finer and shorter. Over years this reads as a widening parting or a thinner crown. Dermatologists call this miniaturisation and it is the biology behind pattern hair loss, which the NHS says usually runs in the family.
Is all shedding related to DHT?	No. The NHS lists illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency among the causes of hair loss, and says to see a GP if you are worried.
Can a food supplement act on DHT?	No food supplement in Great Britain holds an authorised claim about DHT, hormones or hair loss, and Dense makes no such claim. Only authorised claims in the Great Britain register may be used.
What can a hair supplement lawfully claim?	Biotin, zinc and selenium contribute to the maintenance of normal hair. That is the register wording and it is what you should see on a label.
Who should you talk to about hair thinning?	A pharmacist or GP. The NHS advice is to see a GP if you are worried about your hair loss.

What is DHT and why does it thin hair?

Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. Both women and men make testosterone, women mainly in the ovaries and adrenal glands and in much smaller amounts. In follicles that are genetically sensitive to androgens, DHT binds to receptors in the follicle and, cycle after cycle, the follicle spends less time growing and produces a shorter, finer hair. Dermatologists call this miniaturisation. It is gradual, which is why pattern hair loss usually shows as a parting that widens over months and years rather than handfuls in the shower. The NHS notes this type of hair loss usually runs in the family.

How do you tell gradual thinning from other shedding?

The NHS says we can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing, and lists illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency among the causes of hair loss that are often temporary. Sudden shedding some months after an event of that kind behaves differently from gradual thinning at the parting or crown over a year or more. Photographs of your parting in the same light once a month are a better instrument than memory. Either way, the NHS advice is to see a GP if you are worried about your hair loss, and a GP can decide whether any tests are appropriate.

What can a hair supplement lawfully claim in Great Britain?

Every health claim a food supplement makes in Great Britain has to appear on the government register of authorised nutrition and health claims, and only authorised claims may be used. For hair, three nutrients carry the same authorised wording: biotin, zinc and selenium each contribute to the maintenance of normal hair. That sentence is the ceiling. Nothing on the register authorises a supplement to make claims about DHT, hormones, shedding or new growth, and a product using those words is making a medicinal claim it is not allowed to make.

Where do the botanicals fit?

Saw palmetto and pumpkin seed extract appear in many hair supplements, including ours. Neither holds an authorised health claim for hair in Great Britain. On this site they are named and dosed on the label and described without any hair claim. If you want to read the published human studies on them, with their designs and limits, our evidence reviews on saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil set them out in plain English.

How is Daily Densify designed?

Daily Densify is a daily food supplement with 22 separately listed active ingredients and every dose printed on the label, biotin, zinc and selenium among them, taken as one gummy a day. It is vegan and halal friendly. It is designed to sit alongside a varied diet and a scalp routine. If you are worried about hair loss, speak to a pharmacist or GP. The science page shows how every claim on this site earns its place.

See the full label and every dose

Sources

NHS. Hair loss: normal daily shedding, causes, when to see a GP.
Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register.

This page is educational and is not medical advice. Last updated 6 September 2026.