Human biology is a complex system. While DHT is one factor relevant to hair loss, there are others as well. It’s also important to consider the degree to which glycine impacts DHT and the likelihood that this process will impact your hair loss.
Glycine has a number of benefits that can favorably impact hair growth. For example, it’s a building block of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione. Glutathione reduces the impact of free radicals on our bodies, and these free radicals can cause damage that could potentially lead to hair loss. Glycine is a building block of hair, as it can cause keratinization in the hair follicles to form keratin.
Glycine can also reduce stress levels due to its impact on serotonin (it can help to produce it) and glycine receptors, which are similar to GABA receptors. These effects are associated with calmness, low stress and restorative sleep. Stress is a leading cause of hair loss. Although topical, this study showed increased hair density using a formula that included glycine.
As it relates to glycine and DHT, we are not aware of any human studies that demonstrate this effect. We have come across animal studies that imply it’s possible, to a small degree, but we wouldn’t feel comfortable extrapolating that to humans.
Overall, our assessment is that glycine would have a net positive impact on hair growth, not negative. Check out this blog post of ours where we cover the topic.