The Promise of Saw Palmetto for Hair Growth in Men & Women
Androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness, is a common hair loss condition in both men and women. It affects nearly 80% of men as they age, and, strangely, it is becoming more common. Emerging research is establishing saw palmetto berry as a herb that can safely help.
There are only two FDA approved drugs on the market for hair loss: minoxidil and finasteride. But only about 20% of people who use them get substantial results. And there are considerable side effects. Minoxidil is a topical treatment that can cause scalp irritation, allergic contact dermatitis and facial hair in women. Finasteride can cause erectile dysfunction and loss of libido.
Previous research has suggested that saw palmetto berry works as a hair loss supplement. Like saw palmetto, finasteride is primarily used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
This new 16 week placebo-controlled, double-blind study gave men and women with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia either a placebo or 100mg of saw palmetto berry extract standardized to 85% fatty acids and sterols and 2-3% β-sitosterol.
The hair comb test revealed that, while hair fall significantly increased in the placebo group, it significantly decreased by 29% in the saw palmetto group. The hair pull test found a similar 20.52% reduction in hair fall. 33.3% of people on saw palmetto experienced improvement in the amount of hair covering the scalp, and significantly more people in the saw palmetto group positively evaluated their improvement in hair thickness. 33.33% positively evaluated overall appearance, amount of hair, and new hair growth.
While hair density continued worsening by 3.23% in the placebo group, it increased by a significant 5.17% in the saw palmetto group. Hair thickness also improved significantly in the herb group.
An added advantage over the drugs is that, in this study, the saw palmetto berry was very safe.
Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023;16:3251-3266.
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For much more on preventing and treating hair loss naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.
For much more on saw palmetto, see our book Healthy Herbs: Your Everyday Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Their Use.
For comprehensive natural help with your health, including healthy hair, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.
The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.
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