The most common type of hair loss is DHT hair loss, also known as Androgenic Alopecia. The odds of having DHT are slim at a younger age but the risk does increase as you age.
What is DHT?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen hormone, a type of male sex hormone found in both men and women. Androgens are responsible for biological male characteristics like body hair, increased muscle mass, and a deeper voice.
It’s thought that DHT attaches to androgen receptors on the hair follicles. The DHT then causes hair follicles to shrink. As a result, the anagen, or growing, phase of the hair growth cycle decreases in length while the telogen, or resting, phase of the hair cycle is extended.
The anagen phase becomes shorter over time, until eventually no hair grow past the scalp line. Additionally, the hair shaft becomes thinner as the hair follicle shrinks, so hair begins to thin and is more prone to breakage.
The most common type of hair loss is DHT hair loss, also known as Androgenic Alopecia. The odds of having DHT are slim at a younger age but the risk does increase as you age.
DHT and Men’s Hair Loss
Androgenic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in men. By the age of 50, over half of men will have some type of DHT-related hair loss. Male pattern baldness presents itself as thinning along the hairline, temples, and crown. Eventually the hair loss spreads, resulting in a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair around the bottom of the scalp. 
DHT and Hair Loss in Females
DHT has also been linked to hair loss in women. Though in lower quantities, women typically also have male hormones like DHT in their bodies. An imbalance of hormones or an increased sensitivity to DHT can result in hair loss. For women, DHT hair loss results in overall thinning rather than the receding hairline and horseshoe pattern seen in men. Women with DHT hair loss usually see the same symptoms as women with other types of hair loss, such as a widening parting or smaller, thinner ponytail.