Saw Palmetto For Hair Growth: Does It Block Dht
Saw palmetto is a plant that was originally used by Native Americans to treat ailments. It produces small berries which is what is found in most supplements.
There is research that shows this plant can help with an enlarged prostate. This is similar to the way the drug Propecia works, which was also originally intended to treat an enlarged prostate.
The Different Forms Of Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto comes in several different forms. Its widely available as a health supplement and is also used as an ingredient in topical shampoos and other products.
If you search for saw palmetto online, youll come across dietary supplements that feature saw palmetto.
These are usually marketed as prostate health tablets, testosterone boosters or supplements for improving urinary flow and control.
They come in capsule form and usually contain saw palmetto extract in various dosages, either on its own or with other herbs, vitamins or minerals.
Saw palmetto is also available as a liquid extract. Like saw palmetto capsules, this is formulated for oral consumption, usually mixed with water.
When it comes to hair loss, saw palmetto is most commonly used as an ingredient in shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products.
For example, we include saw palmetto as one of several ingredients in our hair thickening shampoo for reducing scalp buildup and promoting volume and moisture.
You can also find saw palmetto in various skin care products and topical treatments designed to improve male health and vitality.
Saw Palmetto For Women
Its not recommended for women to take saw palmetto if they meet the following:
- Taking oral contraceptives
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Significant research has found that saw palmetto interferes with hormones and may cause oral contraceptives to be ineffective. Its also dangerous to take while pregnant or if you want to get pregnant. Always consult your doctor first.
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What To Know About Saw Palmetto And Your Hair’s Health
Just like many other guys around the world, youre living with male pattern baldness. As of now, theres no proven cure for this type of hair loss, though two medications finasteride and minoxidil can help prevent more hair loss and even promote hair regrowth for some. If those options interest you, you should definitely ask your physician about them.
No matter what you decide to do in terms of medication, though, you should still be taking measures to take care of the hair you do have, no matter how much of it there is. There are many different natural remedies out there you can try to keep your hair strong and healthy, such as saw palmetto.
How Much Saw Palmetto For Hair Loss
You have found a natural remedy for baldness and hair loss, and you may come across a supplement called saw palmetto hair loss. It is thought to be extracted from the dark fruits of the saw palmetto tree and helps reduce hereditary hair loss. This type of hair loss is called androgenic alopecia or hair loss.
If you are reading about natural remedies for hair loss, you may have come across an herb called saw palmetto. Saw palmetto extract, which is derived from the fruit of North American plants, is called saw Palmetto, or saw a crab, and is said to help slow or reduce the type of hereditary hair loss known as androgenic alopecia. Combining saw Palmetto can restore hair. This article deals with the hair loss of saw palmetto hair loss.
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Are There Any Alternatives
Are there complimentary supplements for saw palmetto? Yes, there are certainly other supplements that you should take as well, and other things you should be doing to help with hair loss.
In fact, thats why this website is here. I teach you how I personally cured my hair loss using natural methods and how you can do the same.
As a side-note, I wrote an in-depth article about the best natural DHT blocker here, although its probably not what youre expecting, the overall approach is incredibly effective.
What You Ought To Find Out About Laser Hair Growth
If youre a female who is tired of shaving, tweezing, and shaving, laser hair growth can help. With this treatment, the medical professional will apply a topical anesthetic to the area being treated, which will stop the laser from triggering any kind of damage to your skin. You ought to likewise stay clear of taking blood-thinning drugs and anti-inflammatory medicines before the treatment.
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Does Saw Palmetto Work For Hair Loss
Whether saw palmetto works for hair loss or not is still a debatable question. Scientific research about saw palmetto’s efficiency and effectiveness to treat hair loss is limited, but whatever little evidence is there, it’s quite impressive and promising. If studies and researchers are to be believed, then saw palmetto can help to slow down or completely stop hair loss. The healing components present in this wonder fruit block the work of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme in the same way as its synthetic counterparts, but with no side-effects. Once a study was conducted wherein a group of men were treated with saw palmetto for hair loss. The outcome of the research was quite impressive. More than 50% of the participants reported increased hair count by around 12% within 4 months!
Now coming to the point how long does one need to wait for saw palmetto to treat hair loss? To be honest, the effects of saw palmetto for hair loss are not instantaneous, but the results are enduring. Depending on your health condition and your bodys response to the treatment it can be 10-12 weeks before you start spotting some noticeable changes to your hair loss problem.
Medical Uses Of Saw Palmetto
Some countries in Europe currently use saw palmetto as an alternative medicine for BPH. Germanys regulating authority of herbal medicines recently added saw palmetto to their approved list. In America, saw palmetto is not often prescribed and is usually only reserved for men seeking alternative treatment. It has been used as a pre-surgery medication, research shows that taking 320 mg of saw palmetto for 2 months prior to prostate surgery reduces the time spent in surgery and the development of problems during surgery. Keep in mind, the DHT found in the prostate is not necessarily the same as the DHT found on the scalp. The Mayo Clinic gives saw palmetto an A rating for prostate issues and a C rating for hair loss issues. A C rating means there is unclear scientific evidence for this use, and that further research is necessary.
Other uses of saw palmetto include:
- colds and coughs
- enhance sex drive
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Other Remedies For Hair Loss
A persons diet can have an important effect on keeping the skin and hair healthy. Specific foods can help promote the growth of the hair and improve its strength and volume. These foods include eggs, Brazil nuts, and fatty fish.
The American Academy of Dermatology advise people to ensure that they get enough of certain nutrients in their diet. These include protein and iron, which the body uses to build strong, healthy hair. Eating too few calories may also affect the growth and health of the hair.
Few studies have looked into other home remedies for hair loss. However, there is some evidence to suggest that scalp massage and aromatherapy may help.
Like saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. A 2014 study found that males who took 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil daily for 24 weeks had an average hair count increase of 40%. However, more research is necessary before researchers can determine the effectiveness of this supplement.
Many doctors will recommend making lifestyle changes relating to hair care. In some people, these steps may help prevent further hair loss:
Saw Palmettofor Hair Loss: How Its Supposed To Work
The theory behind Saw Palmetto as a hairloss treatment is that it is believed to prevent theconversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone . DHT is a hormonethat plays a role in male hair loss because it shrinks hair follicles,preventing them growing. The key word here is believed until now, this hasnot been definitively proven.
The idea is that it behaves in much thesame way as finasteride, a widely-usedand well-tested treatment for hair loss. However, until more scientific studiesare done that prove a link, we cant say for sure whether Saw Palmetto has anyeffect at all on hair loss and regrowth.
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Saw Palmetto For Hair Loss
Although research is mixed on the effectiveness of saw palmetto as a hair loss treatment, some studies have found that it may offer benefits for men affected by male pattern baldness.
To understand how saw palmetto may be helpful for treating hair loss, its important to quickly go over the basics of how and why male hair loss happens in the first place.
Contrary to popular belief, theres no scientific evidence that male pattern baldness, which is the most common cause of hair loss in men, is caused by things like using too much hair product or wearing your hat too tight.
Instead, experts have found that the causes of male pattern baldness are a combination of your genes and the effects of a male sex hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
DHT is produced as a byproduct of testosterone, your bodys primary sex hormone.
As a child and during adolescence, DHT plays a key role in the development of your male secondary sex characteristics, such as facial and body hair.
However, as you get older, DHT can bind to receptors in your scalp and cause your hair follicles to stop producing new hairs.
Weve talked about this process more in our guide to DHT and its effects on male hair loss.
Interestingly, DHT also has other unwanted effects in your body. For example, as an adult, DHT is the primary hormone responsible for the growth of your prostate gland.
The Benefits Of Saw Palmetto For Hair Loss
According to studies, saw palmetto may help block the activity of 5-alpha reductase , an enzyme that converts testosterone into a hormone linked to hair loss called dihydrotestosterone . In another study, saw palmetto was effective at improving hair growth in 60% of men with male pattern baldness between the ages of 23 and 64.
One study showed positive results for men treated with topical saw palmetto and 10 percent trichogen veg complex. Nearly half of the 25 participants increased their hair count by 11.9 percent after four months of treatment. Another study in 62 adults showed that applying saw palmetto topically for 3 months increased hair density by 35%.
Other benefits of saw palmetto include:
- Improves urinary tract function
- Helps regulate testosterone levels
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Saw Palmetto For Hair Loss The Research
A 2002 double-blind and placebo-controlled study which was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that 60% of the people receiving saw palmetto extract in the study responded positively to the treatment.1
Men with moderate cases of male pattern baldness were given a saw palmetto oral supplement to take twice daily for a few months. They were asked to rate their balding patterns before and after the study, sixty percent reported that their condition improved.
Further research performed by Indian researcher Sundaram Murugusundram and published in 2009 in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery found that topical application of saw palmetto extract in lotion and shampoo base for three months led to 35% increase in hair density.2
Benefits For Hair Loss
According to a 2019 review of complementary and alternative treatments for alopecia, saw palmetto is believed to work by inhibiting the activity of 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme involved in the conversion of the hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone . DHT is considered a key contributing factor to the onset and progression of androgenic alopecia. Saw palmetto also is believed to increase the activity of an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of DHT into androstanediol .
While there’s still a need for large, well-designed clinical trials of saw palmetto, the review concludes that this treatmentboth taken orally or used topically does have clinical benefits and might be a good alternative for men who can’t or don’t want to take oral finasteride, which is a common drug treatment for hair loss. However, researchers say saw palmetto is not superior to standard drug treatments.
A review published in late 2019 in the Archives of Dermatological Research lists saw palmetto as one of the plants with the most evidence-based effect against alopecia.
Whilethis early research is promising, more research must be done before we’ll know for certain how well saw palmetto works and how safe it is for long-term use.
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Hairmax Hair Skin And Nails Supplement
The Hairmax formula is a broad spectrum DHT blocker. It doesnt have nearly as much saw palmetto content so if you are looking to isolate and try out saw palmetto alone we recommend the others in our list. Nevertheless, this has other ingredients alongside saw palmetto such as he shou wu, stinging nettle, beta-sitosterol, and biotin that may enhance your results.
- Per serving: 80mg saw palmetto, 240mg plant sterols, 60mg stinging nettle, 50mg he shou wu , 2,500mcg biotin + other ingredients
- 180 count / 3 month supply
Saw Palmetto And Hair Loss
There are many treatments for hair loss. In recent years, hair pieces and hair extensions have gained popularity. Topical medications and oral drugs are other popular methods people use to treat thinning hair. Surgical procedures such hair plugs also work well. But medications can have side effects and surgery can be expensive.
Saw palmetto is an alternative remedy used to treat hair loss. Its a plant with small berries that has been used by Native Americans as medicine and food for hundreds of years. Theres evidence that this herbal remedy may treat an enlarged prostate. It also has been used to treat:
- hair loss
- prostate cancer
Research on whether saw palmetto works to treat hair loss is limited but promising. An extract of saw palmetto berries may block 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. DHT is the molecule responsible for hair loss and also is involved in the enlargement of the prostate.
One study showed promise in saw palmettos ability to treat an enlarged prostate. Researchers hope it can slow or stop hair loss too. In fact, the components of saw palmetto that block the enzyme work in a similar way as synthetic ingredients in prescription medication for hair loss.
Saw palmetto comes in several different forms, including:
- whole dried berries
- liquid extracts
- powdered capsules
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