Use Saw Palmetto to Treat Hair Loss
First used by Native Americans to treat urinary tract difficulties, saw palmetto is a palm plant native to the Atlantic coast in the southern United States. Increasingly popular as an alternative treatment for a variety of maladies from hair loss to asthma, the active ingredients in saw palmetto are derived from its small, dark brown berries.
Instructions
Learn How Saw Palmetto Works to Treat Hair Loss
1. Observe your balding pattern. Saw palmetto is thought to be useful in the treatment of a particular kind of hair loss known as "androgenic alopecia." Characterized by hair loss near the temples and on the top of the head, androgenic alopecia is a common baldness pattern that affects both men and women.
2. Use saw palmetto to block the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme from converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. This natural process is thought to contribute to androgenic alopecia, because dihydrotestosterone is believed to trigger the onset of balding and worsen it once it begins.
3. Talk to an alternative medicine expert if you have additional questions. As an alternative remedy, saw palmetto's effects have not been thoroughly studied by scientists. Claims regarding its effectiveness largely are based on anecdotal evidence.
Use Saw Palmetto Safely
4. Read the label of any preparation of saw palmetto extract you plan to use. Different brands use differing amounts of the plant's active ingredients, and you'll need to know how much actual saw palmetto is contained in each capsule to get the correct dosage.
5. Determine your correct dosage with the help of your doctor. Depending on your body weight, you should take about 160 mg. to 320 mg. of saw palmetto every day to experience its beneficial effects. Do not increase your dosage before talking to your doctor.
6. Expect few side effects, though you should be aware of the potential side effects commonly reported by users of saw palmetto. These include bowel movement irregularities, nausea, stomach pain and, in some cases, bad breath.
7. Avoid using saw palmetto for any reason if you are battling a medical condition that affects your hormones, such as breast cancer. Saw palmetto is believed to alter both testosterone and estrogen.
8. Use caution with saw palmetto if you're taking blood thinners or if you're a hemophiliac. There have been multiple case reports of saw palmetto inducing severe bleeding in patients who have suffered cuts.
Tags: androgenic alopecia, Treat Hair, Treat Hair Loss, active ingredients, correct dosage, Hair Loss, hair loss