(Top 7) Saw Palmetto Hair Benefits (Men & Women)

Are you dealing with shedding? Or you simply got a bad haircut and you’re trying to grow out your hair faster?

Either way – there’s a herb that might help.

I’m talking about Saw Palmetto.

So how exactly does it improve hair? And is it really helpful for both men and women?

Here are the top 7 Saw Palmetto hair benefits (for both genders).

 

 

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What’s Inside Saw Palmetto?

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First of all – Saw Palmetto is actually Serenoa Repens, a species of dwarf palm tree in southern North America. 

It’s actually the fruit that contains beneficial substances:

1. Fatty Acids: laurate, myristate, palmitate, etc. [1]
2. Phytosterols: stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, etc. [1]
3. Vitamins: A, E, K
4. Antioxidants

Basically – these are the responsible behind its hair benefits.

But that’s not all. Saw Palmetto is also helpful in health problems like:

• prostate problems (in men)
• low urinary function (in men)
• high testosterone (in women)

However – its main benefit is surely related to hair health. So how exactly does this herb improve hair?

You will be surprised to hear all its 7 benefits.

So a product with this kind of formula must be effective – if you ask me.

 

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#1 – Blocks DHT Excess

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That’s probably what Saw Palmetto is best known for.

1. How It Can Help

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Actually – it’s all about blocking excess hormones:

1. DHT is a form of testosterone that can affect hair follicles.
2. It’s responsible for over 90% cases of male hair loss.
3. Also – it causes shedding in women as well.
4. Saw Palmetto blocks its excess levels. [2]
5. In this way, it stops hair loss and potential baldness.

In fact – among all effective herbs, Saw Palmetto is probably the strongest (when it comes to DHT excess).

2. How & When To Use It

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If your hair is falling out due to excess DHT – this herb is the best solution.

But how can you tell if that’s the case?:

• Visit your specialist
• Have some blood tests to check testosterone level
• Have a hair analysis (not always necessary)

When it comes to solutions – using it a supplement works best, since it treats the problem on the inside. 

My advice is to go for a supplement that contains Saw Palmetto combined with other herbs. 

In this case – the effect is much stronger (other herbs also decrease DHT excess).

 

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#2 – Can Prevent Male Baldness

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This could be a major benefit of Saw Palmetto. Too bad there are no studies yet.

1. How It Can Help

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Once again – it’s all about blocking high levels of DHT:

1. This hormone decreases hair follicles nourishment. 
2. On the long term, follicles die.
3. Dead follicles can’t grow hair anymore (also they can’t be revived).
4. Saw Palmetto can prevent their death by blocking excess DHT.

Basically – this herb can prevent or delay baldness, but it can’t cure it.

Once your hair follicles are dead, no herb can bring them back to life.

At least there are no proofs that it’s possible (at this point). [3]

Also – hair follicles don’t die at the same time. So even if it seems late, using Saw Palmetto can save some that are left.

2. When & How To Use It

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This benefit is mostly available for men – as women rarely go bald.

Here’s when Saw Palmetto is recommended:

• You have a family history of baldness
• Your hair is starting to fall out
• You have an early/medium baldness

Also – you can use it even if you’re almost completely bald. But I can’t guarantee there will be any results.

Anyway, supplementing with Saw Palmetto is the best for baldness.

 

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#3 – Boosts Growth Speed

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Though there’s little evidence – some source say this herb can also increase growth.

1. How It Can Help

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Things are pretty simple:

1. Apparently, Saw Palmetto increases hair nutrition.
2. That’s because it blocks DHT and increases blood flow in the scalp.
3. In this way, hair follicles receive more essential nutrients.
4. Therefore, their growth rate increases.

As I said – there’s no clinical evidence for this.

But some people who used Saw Palmetto swear by its hair growth potential.

2. When & How To Use It

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Saw Palmetto isn’t my top recommendation for hair growth.

However – if you’re also dealing with shedding, it can really help.

So my advice is to use it only if you want to grow your falling out hair.

In case you don’t have any shedding, there are better alternatives.

 

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#4 – Increases Hair Density

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According to some sources – Saw Palmetto is helpful against thinning hair.

1. How It Can Help

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This claim is based on the fact that Saw Palmetto works as a “hormonal treatment”:

1. DHT causes both hair loss and thinning hair.
2. This herb blocks the excess levels.
3. In this way, it decreases the shedding.
4. However, it also stop the thinning and increases density (in time).

Actually – a high number of men only deal with thinning hair, without baldness.

Their hair becomes so thin that you can easily see their scalp. The hair is still there, it didn’t fall out.

But it’s simply too thin.

2. When & How To Use It

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Just like when it comes to baldness, this herb can help thinning hair in men.

However – it’s usually not as helpful in women.

That’s simply because women rarely experience DHT-related thinning (there are other causes and solutions).

And when they do – it’s usually a hormonal problem (like PCOS).

So in these cases, Saw Palmetto could help women as well.

That’s why using a herbal supplement that also contains Saw Palmetto is the best choice, in my opinion.

 

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#5 – Strengthens Roots

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Apparently – using this herb will also make your hair structure more powerful.

1. How It Can Help

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According to different sources:

1. Saw Palmetto increases scalp circulation and nutrition.
2. It also boosts keratin production.
3. In this way, the roots become more powerful.
4. Also, hair stops breaking too easily and becomes stronger overall.

Unfortunately – there are no studies on this topic yet.

So all the facts I mentioned are based on other people’s experiences with this herb (which isn’t the best proof).

2. When & How To Use It

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I don’t necessarily recommend using Saw Palmetto just to make your hair stronger.

As I said – there’s isn’t enough evidence that it’s really effective.

So that’s why I don’t think it’s worth the shot.

But if you’re dealing with hair loss and you also want to strengthen your hair – then it’s a more than decent choice.

 

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#6 – Reduces Dry Ends

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Due to its follicle stimulating proprieties, this herb can also fight dry hair.

1. How It Helps

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As before – there is no clinical evidence that Saw Palmetto can help dry hair.

But it’s all about its mechanism:

• Improves hair root nutrition
• Also increases scalp blood flow
• Hair is better lubricated

Now – if you have a very dry hair, using Saw Palmetto isn’t going to help any single bit.

But if your hair is normal (in terms of dryness), Saw Palmetto can keep it hydrated.

2. When & How To Use It

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If your hair is falling out and the ends are dry – this herb can help a lot.

However, I don’t recommend it just as a dry hair treatment.

Since it has very little info that’s it’s effective – it might not have the expected results.

 

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#7 – Improves General Hair Health

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Surprisingly – this herb is a great solution for hair in general.

1. How It Can Help

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Saw Palmetto has several benefits that can improve your hair’s condition:

1. Blocks DHT and decreases consequent thinning.
2. Adds volume and fuller density.
3. Can stimulate hair follicles.

It’s surely not the best remedy for hair in general – but it’s extremely helpful.

2. How & When To Use It

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I stick to my previous advice: only use Saw Palmetto if your hair is falling out due to DHT excess.

You will surely get all of its other benefits in this way.

But if you’re only taking it for hair growth, strength or density – I don’t recommend it.

That’s because it has no studies on this topic, so it might not work too well.

 

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How To Use Saw Palmetto?

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This is a crucial aspect about this herb – as things are not as simple as they seem.

Basically, I recommend using it as a supplement:

1. Only blocks DHT when taken internally.
2. Treats the problems from the inside.
3. Much easier to use than a cream.

Now – most people would take a Saw Palmetto based supplement.

But my advice is to use a supplement based on a combination of herbs – not Saw Palmetto alone.

Here’s why I say this:

1. High dosages of Saw Palmetto can hide an early prostate problem.
2. Combined with other herbs, Saw Palmetto has a lower dosage.
3. Also, this combination has a better overall effect on hair.
4. Plus, side effects are also less frequent.

So instead of counting just on Saw Palmetto – better go for a combination of herbs.

In case your body doesn’t respond to Saw Palmetto (there is a possibility), it will respond to the others.

So that’s what I usually recommend you to do

So a product with this kind of formula must be effective – if you ask me.

 

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My Verdict – Is Saw Palmetto Good For Hair?

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Short answer: Definitely – it’s one of the best herbs you can pick.

However, it works best for:

1. Hair loss caused by DHT excess.
2. Thinning hair in men.
3. Women with high levels of DHT.

Even though it can sometimes boost growth or strengthen the roots – it has no studies behind.

So I couldn’t possibly recommend it for these issues, since there’s no actual proof that it works.

However – if you deal with shedding, Saw Palmetto is one of the best things you can choose:

• Make sure you use it as a supplement.
• Try to go for a product that contains several herbs.
• This kind of product should work best for hair.

As I said – Saw Palmetto isn’t the only DHT blocker (see Green Tea or Turmeric).

But it’s by far the strongest among all herbs. That’s a main reason why I recommend supplements containing it.

References:

1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC3798925/

2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/11337315

3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC2840915/