Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss: Does it Work?

Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss (and for excessive body hair): does it actually work?  

If you suffer from hair loss (from your scalp) whether you are a man or a woman, or from excessive body hair (if you are a woman) you’ll have probably read about Saw Palmetto for hair loss as a natural supplement. But does it really work?

 Saw Palmetto (Serenoa Repens) was used by Native Americans centuries ago in order to treat problems of the urinary tract in men. Nowadays it has been more or less widely accepted as a natural supplement which can help with benign prostate gland enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BHP).

This is where things became interesting for those who suffer from hair loss and those who research treatments for hair loss: since Finasteride (Propecia) had been used against BHP and, at the same time, it had shown to be effective against male-pattern baldness (or androgenic hair loss, affecting both men and women), it was beginning to be assumed that Saw Palmetto would offer the same benefits against hair loss.

Let’s clarify.  First of all, let’s clarify that androgenic hair loss (or male-pattern baldness) is the type of hair loss which occurs primarily on the top of your head (front or mid sections for women and men and on the top-back area for men) and, at times simultaneously, on the sides (the areas around the temples). How is Saw Palmetto for hair loss supposed to help against andro-genetic baldness or thinning?

Although the exact mechanism has not been completely proven yet, it’s supposed to work similarly to Propecia/Finasteride, namely blocking the effects that the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme has on your scalp: this enzyme has the ‘nasty habit’ of facilitating the conversion of the hormone testosterone (commonly present in everybody though in differing levels) into the ‘hair-destroyer’ dihydrotestosterone or DHT (as you may have already deduced, DHT is also responsible for benign prostatic hyperplasia). There seem to be some studies asserting that Saw Palmetto also influences sex hormones levels overall (oestrogen and testosterone).

If the above is true we have of course a viable, cheap supplement against androgenic hair loss. This is good news, of course. However, the problem is that there is still little evidence of the effectiveness of Saw Palmetto for hair loss. There is some, though not complete, evidence that this natural herbal supplement can indeed inhibit the facilitating effects of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme on the ‘nasty’ DHT, but the clinical studies proving this are too small to be considered evidence to this date. The supporters of this herb as effective treatment against male-pattern hair loss suggest that little money has been spent on these clinical studies simply because, as in the case of all natural supplements, Saw Palmetto cannot be patented and is therefore not interesting to the big pharmaceutical companies which, according to this ‘camp’, are only interesting in ‘pushing’ their own drugs or at least drugs which can be patented thus become highly profitable.

However, I have not found a good enough number of people (online, directly, in my community, virtually, via blogs and any other way possible to me) who have been using Saw Palmetto for hair loss against the androgenic form. From the information that is available in many countries and in many formats, Saw Palmetto for hair loss is not the miracle supplement we were hoping for. At least not yet.

Moreover, as with many herbal supplements, Saw Palmetto has some (relatively minor) side effects. Nothing comparable to the side effects that most traditional drugs may carry, but they exist nonetheless and it is important that you are aware of them. Most of them are mild and do not affect everybody of course: mild stomach pain, some diarrhoea or constipation, some nausea, potential vomiting and, for some, bad breath. As in the case of Finasteride/Propecia (which is relatively effective against this type of hair loss), some men may notice a change in the erectile function, some breast tenderness or enlargement and, in some case, changes in sexual desire.

This does not happen to everybody but if you are a man you may wish to bear it in mind. If you are a woman you this of course does not concern you, although you should avoid Saw Palmetto (as in the case of Finasteride/Propecia) if you are planning to get pregnant in the coming months or if you are already pregnant, because it may affect the male foetus.

Since it is supposedly affecting some hormones, though we have no evidence of this yet, you may wish to avoid Saw Palmetto if you suffer from hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast problems or if you are using contraceptives or hormone-replacement therapy.

Moreover, because the chemical beta-sitosterol, which is chemically similar to cholesterol, is present in Saw Palmetto extracts, you will have to watch Saw Palmetto consumption if you have a history of high cholesterol, or a history of heart problems and of course heart attacks.

Saw Palmetto is also not indicated for those who suffer from bleedings or take ‘blood thinners’, and those who are about to have surgery or have just had surgery because it may increase the risk of bleeding (make sure at least 2 weeks pass before and after the surgery).

Finally, although not proven yet, Saw Palmetto may interfere with the absorption of the mineral iron and, if you are in particular need of this mineral (such as anemia sufferers, menstruating women and so on), you may prefer to wait for conclusive evidence on this matter before taking this herbal supplement.

The most effective treatment to date against hair loss in traditional medicine is discussed on Hair Loss Cures.

The most effective hair loss treatment in alternative (natural) medicine is discussed on Hair Loss Supplements and Homeopathic Remedies for Female Hair Loss