Hair loss among men may get most of the attention, but hair loss is also a problem among women. The Hormone Help Center estimates that 20 percent of women in their 40s or younger suffer from hair loss, and the percentage increases to as high as 40 percent after that. Hormones play a large part in many types of hair loss among women, and saw palmetto extract is a common treatment method. Women should not take saw palmetto without first speaking with their physician.
Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto has been a popular treatment for a number of conditions for more than 100 years among Native Americans in the southeastern United States where it grows. Saw palmetto is a fan palm tree or shrub that can grow as high as 10 feet. The plant produces white flowers on which saw palmetto berries grow. The berries turn a dark color when ripe, at which time they are harvested.
Types of Female Hair Loss
There are several types of hair loss among women, although only two are common, androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. The most common type of female hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, often referred to as female-pattern baldness, occurs when testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone in the body. While testosterone is a male hormone, women do have small amounts in normal conditions.
Alopecia areata occurs when the hair follicles are attacked by the immune system, causing hair loss in specific areas on the scalp. It can spread to affect the entire scalp and even the entire body.
Saw Palmetto for Female Hair Loss
An enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase is the driving force to testosterone being converted to dihydrotestosterone. Saw palmetto is able to block 5-alpha reductase, which prevents dihydrotestosterone from being formed. Left unchecked, dihydrotestosterone will attach to hair follicles, causing them to get progressively thinner with each growth cycle. Over time the follicle will stop producing new hair. There have been no major studies on saw palmetto's effectiveness as a treatment for female pattern baldness, and only 2 percent minoxidil is approved as a hair loss treatment for women by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Safety
There are few reported side effects from saw palmetto, with an upset stomach and mild headaches two of the most common. Saw palmetto may have an effect on hormones, so women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take it. Saw palmetto extract may also cause oral contraceptives to lose some effectiveness and should not be used by those taking blood-thinning medications. Due to its potential to interfere with hormones, women should use caution with saw palmetto and not take it until speaking with their physician.
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