Hair Transplant, Hair Restoration & Repair
110 East 55th Street, New York, NY
Telephone: 212-826-2400
Q: Have there been any lab studies proving that Saw Palmetto works to prevent hair loss?
A: There have been no verifiable clinical studies that show saw palmetto can stop hair loss or cause hair to re-grow. There have been some preliminary tests showing that saw palmetto may be able to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, but its usefulness for androgenetic hair loss has not been documented in controlled studies.
Q: What is Saw Palmetto?
A: Saw Palmetto is a dwarf palm plant native to North America. The active ingredients can be found in the plant’s brown-black berries. It’s proposed that it blocks the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). There is little scientific evidence that Saw Palmetto is actually effective for hair loss.
Q: There has been a lot of talk circulating on the internet regarding the use of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for the treatment of hair loss. Would you be able to comment on whether or not you think this will turn out to be a viable treatment for male pattern baldness (MPB)?
A: It is a bit too early to tell. My sense is that it will not have any practical long-term benefits for the treatment of hair loss (MPB), since it doesn’t get to the cause of androgenetic hair loss, i.e. DHT. Treatments such as copper-peptide, saw-palmetto, laser therapy, have all been promoted for male pattern hair loss, but have not really turned out to have any significant long-term benefits. Further studies need to be done on PRP to get a better sense of its value in combating hair loss.
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