Regardless of your age and health, hair loss can be an embarrassing, emotional and psychologically damaging ordeal that can affect your mood, self-esteem and relationships. In many cases, hair loss has genetic ties, but that is just one of the possible causes. If you suffer from hair loss, it could be caused by: medication side effects, chemotherapy, an autoimmune condition such as alopecia areata, a chronic illness such as anemia or thyroid disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormone imbalance, a vitamin or mineral deficiency, or stress.
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While there are many commercially available medications and treatment options for hair loss, natural remedies should be your first choice for treatment. Work with your doctor to rule out an underlying illness, hormone imbalance, medication issue or vitamin or mineral deficiency. If it's been a while since your last physical and complete blood count, schedule it as soon as possible. If stress might be a factor in your hair loss, consider trying Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to help reduce your stress level.
While it's normal for healthy people to lose hair and have it grow back, one interesting study showed that high DHT levels can prevent regrowth, due to the way DHT binds to the androgen receptors and increases their expression, encouraging the "miniaturization" of the hair follicles and preventing new growth from occurring. Research has also shown that saw palmetto is able to significantly increase human keratinocyte cells incubated with DHT, which may result in increased hair density, weight and thickness. In a 2016 clinical trial, when saw palmetto was applied topically, men with androgenetic alopecia had increased hair count at weeks 12 and 24, compared to baseline.
Saw palmetto generally comes in four basic forms: tablets, powdered capsules, liquid extracts and whole dried berries. Tablets and capsules are the easiest to find and the easiest to ingest, and it's interesting to note that they're also what some researchers have used in their studies. In regard to how much to take, you should consult your doctor first about safe dosages. Research has shown that saw palmetto may also help prevent prostate cancer, reduce symptoms of PCOS, and increase libido.