Saw palmetto’s effectiveness at treating hair
In recent years, it seems like there’s a “natural” alternative being proposed for nearly every medical issue under the sun, and now we can add one more: male hair loss. The fruit of the Serenoa repens plant, more commonly called saw palmetto, is claimed by many to prevent hair loss in men, leading to a proliferation of different saw palmetto supplements that have been aimed at men in recent years.
First of all, why try a natural hair loss remedy in the first place? Well, people have different reasons for it. While finasteride and minoxidil have been the go-to treatments for preventing or reversing hair loss in men for decades now, these are pharmaceutical drugs. That means they can be pricey, and in the case of finasteride, you need a prescription. It also means you could be subject to side effects: in finasteride’s case, there’s a chance of sexual dysfunction; in minoxidil’s case, dizziness, swelling, and tiredness. While finasteride comes in pill form and has been tested for its effects on all the head’s hair follicles, minoxidil is mainly effective on the crown (not the hairline), and must be applied and massaged into the scalp every day.
But is saw palmetto a good alternative to these drugs? And does it even work? As with many things in the natural health community, the reply is hard to give in a straight one-word answer.
First, let’s look at saw palmetto’s history. Found commonly in the Southeast U.S., particularly Florida, this plant produces berries which have been made into medicines by indigenous American tribes going back thousands of years. In the twentieth century, the extract from the saw palmetto berry started to be used in natural enhancement supplements. This is due to its supposed advantages in reducing estrogen levels, which can increase the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. Others have claimed that it can shrink the lining of the prostate in those who have benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH – a condition in older men which results in problems fully emptying the bladder.
That’s all well and good, but how is this plant’s extract supposed to affect hair loss? Well, that has to do with one of the unique actions of saw palmetto on the body. Male hair loss (androgenic alopecia) is caused by DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a hormone that binds to receptors in the hair follicles and shrinks them, causing them to slowly – but eventually – die. DHT is created when regular testosterone interacts with an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. Saw palmetto is supposed to contain a substance that blocks 5-alpha-reductase, and thus prevent the creation of DHT. This process is supposed to reduce the stranglehold on the hair follicles and free them of the ill effects DHT causes, thus permitting them to flourish. The reason saw palmetto is taken so seriously by the natural health community is that this is the precise mode of action that finasteride, a proven pharmaceutical drug approved by the FDA, is supposed to work. While not a direct one-to-one comparison, the similar mode of action has intrigued many, and led to the widespread sale of saw palmetto supplements as natural alternatives.
There are a number of trials that have been done on the effectiveness of saw palmetto in slowing or preventing hair loss, but there aren’t that many of them. From what we’ve gleaned, however, those few trials did yield some promising results, with a noticeable amount of people seeing improvements.
And as for side effects? So far, we haven’t read about any common side effects of saw palmetto in men, something which many men will find comforting. With women, however, it’s different: apparently, it can affect estrogen levels in women taking estrogen as a part of hormone replacement therapy.
Hair loss in both men and women can be distressing, particularly for those who are younger when it happens. Hair is associated with you, beauty, and vitality, and losing it can make people feel older or less attractive. That’s why people have been inventing products that supposedly “cure” or “reverse” hair loss for centuries, from tonics and scalp treatments back in the 19th century all the way to today’s drugs. Most cures for hair loss are fakes, plain and simple, and the few that have been shown to work don’t necessarily work for everyone – even with finasteride and minoxidil, not all users are guaranteed any significant results at all. Combine that with the known side effects of these pills, and there’s no wonder people want a natural alternative that can help stave off hair loss.
While saw palmetto has received some criticism and praise alike, the truth is that our understanding of saw palmetto and its extract are very limited. But the few tests that have been performed on it demonstrate that it shows at least a little promise. That means that there might be some hope, and that a natural and healthy way to combat hair loss could be right around the corner.