Treating Hair Loss With Natural Supplements

Most men who've investigated treatments for their hair loss are familiar with pharmaceuticals called Proscar and Propecia. These drugs are known to limit the levels of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone made from testosterone, which has been implicated as the primary cause of genetically-related hair loss. But what about over-the-counter vitamins, herbs and minerals? Could these too do the same thing, at a potentially lower cost, and perhaps with less side effects? The evidence is in that this is not only possible, but probably a more effective way to go in the long run.

Our tendency to believe synthetic chemicals produced by the scientists in well-funded labs MUST be making drugs more effective than nature. At the same time, these same scientists are spending millions of dollars and lots of time looking for natural compounds to extract, and then patent a unique delivery system so they can call them their own. But when you think about it, there's nothing their doing that evolution hasn't been doing already --- making new chemicals! It's just that the pharmaceutical companies then spend millions of dollars in research on humans to prove their chemicals work just a little bit better than a placebo -- where this isn't financially feasible in the case of herbs and nutrients.

There are in-fact small-scale studies revealing the efficacy of herbs and other natural supplements -- they just don't happen to be so large as to be allowed to advertise as a cure for baldness. Typically these studies are done "in the test tube", meaning they show that a particular supplement can inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT, or prevent the binding of DHT to sites on hair follicles. Because there's restrictions on being able to patent natural treatments (because the company didn't "invent", they can't patent it, and any other company can benefit from all the work they'd done), these studies usually won't involve large populations of human users, and be placebo controlled. So you have to somewhat take it on faith that because the herb or nutrient blocks inhibition in the test tube, it'll do so in your scalp as well (there's good reason to believe this, actually, which we'll get to).

Research on male pattern hair loss itself indicates three important considerations: blocking the formation and binding of DHT, reducing inflammation at the hair follicle, and ensuring an adequate supply of nutrients for hair growth (some of which seem to be important in signaling hair to grow, not just provide the necessary nutrients for the physical formation of hair).

First, the limiting of DHT production and activity: The primary nutrients recommended are extracts of saw palmetto berry, nettle root, green tea, soy and flax seeds. Always find these in extracts, not just the powdered herb -- and best to find standardized extracts, so you know you're getting reasonable amounts of what is considered the "active ingredients" of each. For flax and green tea, you could consider taking these as whole food supplements (a couple tablespoons of ground flax seeds and several cups of green tea per day).

These supplements actually work together in synergy -- some will block formation and some will block binding. Typically these are available together, with the lignans as well, in formulas which support the prostate gland. Interestingly, the same nutrients which prevent prostate swelling also prevent hair loss -- so if you want to choose the single most effective supplement, choose a high quality gel-cap (oil-based, for best absorption) prostate support formula. It is actually because we know that these work to reduce prostate swelling resulting from DHT production and binding (the symptoms are alleviated quickly) that it's safe to believe the same actions will help prevent further hair loss.

Soybean extracts sound a little weird -- aren't these for women who need extra estrogen? It turns out that bacteria naturally found in our digestive system turn certain components of soybean extracts into a chemical that has the strongest DHT inhibiting qualities of any known compound to date.

Much of the most recent research has noted hair follicle death being preceded by inflammation. Chronic cellular inflammation is actually implicated in aging, and is now becoming a primary focus of anti-aging medicines and therapies. Curcumin, an extract of the spice turmeric, is now widely available in easily-absorbed formulations (look for these, as otherwise the body will absorb very little of the nutrient). A hair-loss-prevention patent has been applied for with a simple combination of curcumin and red wine extract, so this is certainly worth a look.

A smattering of other nutrients are worth considering as well -- particularly if you favor the "shotgun approach" -- that of including every possible helpful nutrient, expecting that at least some will do the job. Here's a quick rundown: The B-vitamins biotin and inositol, the mineral sulfur (either from the amino acid methionine or MSM), the amino acids taurine (thought to prevent hardening of the follicle), arginine (thought to signal hair growth -- can be taken alone or sourced from raw chocolate or pomegranate extract) and lysine (which seems to boost all other natural supplements). Finally, a tablespoon of coconut oil either eaten or massaged into the scalp on a regular basis has a lot of support from the community supporting natural treatments.

This is a fairly comprehensive list of the currently recommended natural supplements for treatment of male pattern baldness. By taking several of these, your almost assured of results as good as any one pharmaceutical preparation. The critical thing is to believe in them as strongly as you would if you'd received them from your doctor and pharmacist, and keep taking them daily for several months. You might even think about combining them with some topical natural treatment, such as a blend of essential oils. The oils used in "aromatherapy" are actually potent medicines themselves, many of which are known to have constituents which signal the growth of new tissues and cells -- like hair follicles -- and could synergize well with your internal supplement program.

The author is a natural health professional utilizing aromatherapy oils and essential oil blends in her practice.