Are DHT blocking shampoos real? I am a 23 year old male suffering from hair loss for a few years now.

There is no scientific evidence that DHT blocking shampoos are effective. For patients who are experiencing ongoing hair loss, we suggest being evaluated for oral finasteride to actually block the DHT receptor and slow down progressive hair loss.

Shampoos are somewhat effective at reducing DHT levels. Because they work from the outside in, the follicular receptors are not getting the maximum amount of benefit from the shampoo. If you think you would benefit from a DHT blocker, you would be better off with an oral product or neutraceutical such a Nutrafol.PRP hair MD.com

There are many shampoors that claim that they blockDHT, but none of them really work as claimed. Your biggest enemy is the progressive thinning leading to a balding pattern that may not evident at this point in time. The degree of thinning that you are experiencing would suggest that you should see a doctor who most likely will get Bulk Measurements of your hair to determine the degree of the thinning that you may be presently having. If the diagnosis is early genetic hair loss (the most common cause of hair loss in young men and you are probably following your families balding problem), then the best treatment would be the drug finasteride which is highly effective in men of your age and may no t only stop the hair loss but possibly reverse it. If you are developing a more advanced balding pattern the best test to get is the HAIRCHECK instrument test which will determine the Bulk Measurements of your hair and this will show, over a one-year time frame, how effective the treatment will be or if you are not on drugs, using this instrument to tell you if you have ANY hair loss at all.  Once you know this information, then you and your doctor need to develop a MASTER PLAN which will define what you need