Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an active metabolite of the hormone testosterone. Dihydrotestosterone belongs to the class of compounds called androgens which stimulate and control the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics. It also plays a crucial role in both sex drive and the growth of muscle tissue. DHT is 3 times more potent than testosterone; testosterone is 5-10 times more potent than adrenal androgens.
DHT is the primary contributing factor in male-pattern baldness. It also plays a role in the development or exacerbation of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, and prostate cancer, by enlarging the prostate gland.