Propecia is an oral medication that is prescribed as a treatment for male pattern baldness. Saw palmetto is an oral herbal dietary supplement that is thought to lower dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, levels, the primary hormone that causes male pattern baldness. If you have male pattern baldness or abnormal loss of hair, well beyond 100 hairs a day, consult your doctor.
Mechanism of Men's Hair Loss
According to the American Hair Loss Association, DHT is the primary cause of male pattern baldness. DHT, a natural hormone predominately present in males, shrinks follicles that are genetically not programmed to withstand this androgenic hormone. As the process repeats itself over time, hairs become thinner and finer until the hair follicle is lost. By lowering DHT levels, hair follicles that are genetically prone to miniaturization from DHT can be spared.
Propecia
Propecia, generically known as finasteride, is a prescription treatment for male pattern baldness. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration for the treatment of androgenic alopecia in males. According to the American Hair Loss Association, Propecia can lower your DHT by as much as 60 percent. A 60 percent reduction in DHT stopped the progression of hair loss in 86 percent of men. The American Hair Loss Association considers Propecia to be the "first line of defense" for adult men who are attempting to treat and prevent male pattern baldness. It is the only treatment that addresses the root cause of male pattern baldness -- DHT.
Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto is a dietary supplement that is often associated with lowering DHT levels for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Like male pattern baldness, DHT is responsible for enlargement of the male prostate gland. George Nemecz, assistant professor of biochemistry in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Campbell University School, says that saw palmetto extracts can reduce DHT receptor binding by 40 to 42 percent in prostate tissue. While this is promising, there has not been a peer-reviewed clinical study of how saw palmetto fairs in the treatment of male pattern baldness.
Expert Insight
Dr. William Rassman, hair restoration surgeon and member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery and International Society for Hair and Scalp Surgery, says that the curiosity behind saw palmetto as a DHT blocker is understandable, but he states that patients may be disappointed because the hormonal pathways that trigger hair loss may be not addressed entirely by saw palmetto. Saw palmetto has not been proven to be effective. Propecia, however, is clinically proven to slow or halt male pattern baldness. Rassman says that any claims on the Internet stating that saw palmetto "is a cure" or "has been proven" to treat male pattern baldness are completely false.
References
- American Hair Loss Association: Men's Hair Loss
- American Hair Loss Association: Men's Hair Loss: Treatment
- Campbell University: Saw Palmetto
- Balding Blog: Dr. William Rassman: Is Finasteride Really That Much Different than Saw Palmetto?
- Balding Blog: Dr. William Rassman: Saw Palmetto Claims, Finasteride Pricing
- Balding Blog: Dr. William Rassman: Libido Increased with Finasteride, So I Want to Take Saw Palmetto with It
Member Comments