The most common type of baldness or hair loss (alopecia), especially in men, is androgenetic hair loss. Hair loss occurs when the DHT (dihydrotestosterone) level is too high and the DHT prevents the hair follicles from being supplied with sufficient nutrients.

The follicles shrink and the hair thins out. If nothing is done, the hair falls out completely.

 

To treat or prevent hair loss, the DHT level in the body must be reduced. There are drugs to inhibit DHT, known as Propecia or Finasteride. These inhibit the conversion of free testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. However, as synthetically produced drugs against hair loss, these often have serious side effects such as gynaecomastia (enlargement of the male mammary gland) or even potency disorders.

A purely herbal treatment for hair loss is an extract from the brown-black berry of the saw palmetto. The extract contains a natural DHT inhibitor which, unlike synthetic medication, has little or no effect on the body and therefore has no proven side effects.

Indians have used saw palmetto since ancient times to treat urinary disorders in men and prostate enlargement. Only recently has it been discovered that saw palmetto can treat hair loss by blocking the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that causes the conversion of testosterone into DHT.

Saw palmetto is a purely herbal medicine that reduces DHT levels and thus prevents and reverses hair loss.

Saw palmetto is available in liquid form or as capsules over the counter in pharmacies or online.