Male Pattern Baldness
Before you can begin to regrow lost hair, it's important to have an understanding of why you lose hair in the first place so you know what you are attempting to do. The most common form of hair loss is known as male pattern baldness, and it affects an estimated 35 million men in the United States.
The primary culprit in male pattern baldness is dihydrotestosterone, which is typically referred to as DHT. Testosterone is converted to DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. The DHT in turn binds itself to hair follicles and ultimately prevents the hair follicle from being able to produce new hair. The key then to regrowing hair is to prevent DHT from attaching itself to the hair follicle.
DHT Blocking Supplements
The premise behind propecia, the only pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hair loss, is its ability to block 5-alpha reductase, which leads to decreased production of DHT. When choosing a natural method of growing hair, most people tend to look for a supplement that acts in the same manner, which is why saw palmetto is the most popular natural supplement for hair loss.
Saw palmetto does not have the scientific testing behind it that finasteride--the active ingredient in Propecia--does when it comes to hair loss, but saw palmetto has passed numerous clinical studies that shows it improves symptoms of an enlarged prostate. The other primary use of finasteride is to treat enlarged prostates, and the Mayo Clinic states that saw palmetto's ability to treat enlarged prostates may be similar to finasteride, only with fewer side effects. The rationale, therefore, is that if saw palmetto acts similar to finasteride for treating prostate issues, it should act in a similar manner for treating hair loss.
Other popular DHT-blocking natural supplements are stinging nettle, or nettle root, and dong quai.
DHT Blocking Shampoo
While most of the attention on reducing DHT is given to orally taken supplements, topical methods should not be overlooked. One method that does have small-scale clinical research to back it up is using Nizoral shampoo several times each week.
Nizoral is available as a prescription item or over the counter. The over-the-counter shampoo contains 1-percent ketoconazole, while the prescription item is 2-percent ketoconazole.
The premise behind Nizoral is that it also can block 5-alpha reductase from converting testosterone to DHT. A study by Hugo Perez, California College of Podiatric Medicine, concluded that 2-percent ketoconazole interferes with DHT production.
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