For one reason or another, you may choose not to use common hair loss treatments like minoxidil or finasteride, and perhaps you’ve already turned to so-called natural remedies. The Internet is, quite frankly, bloated with discussions and advertisements of herbal remedies to cure hair loss, and it can be incredibly overwhelming for the individual who wants to regain confidence without spending an inordinate sum. So which of these remedies are worth your money?
To preface, let’s note that herbal treatments for hair loss are most commonly found in non-Western and indigenous communities, and among these communities these remedies have been touted for literally centuries. As a company, we strive for transparency, and that’s why we rely on peer-reviewed empirical data. But this comes with a caveat, most especially when dealing with natural remedies—just because there isn’t any clinical evidence doesn’t mean, necessarily, that it doesn’t work whatsoever, only that there isn’t sufficient research on the topic. When it comes to treatments from non-Western cultures, such as East Asian herbal medicine and Indian Ayurveda, there is a strong bias against researching these treatments at all, with major scientific journals tending to focus more so on pharmacological studies. As a result, these tend to reside in a sort of gray area.
With that being said, the attitude toward researching herbal alternatives to Western medicine is slowly shifting, and there are now a number of peer-reviewed studies analyzing the purported effects of natural remedies. Upon reviewing the literature ourselves, we’ve found promising results for a select few specific herbal treatments to add to your routine.
The first, and most well-known, is saw palmetto, an herb processed from the fruit of the American dwarf pine tree. Saw palmetto supplements are readily available over the counter, and evidence suggests they’re both safe and at least slightly effective. One study found that a softgel containing saw palmetto extract performed significantly better than a placebo softgel in addressing hair growth in participants with androgenetic alopecia. A more recent 2020 meta-analysis examining studies of saw palmetto across various clinical trials found that with doses of 100-320 mg of saw palmetto, a majority of patients experienced improvement in increased hair density. Across studies, it appears that saw palmetto is devoid of any adverse side effects, which makes it a reasonable choice for individuals experiencing hair loss who are cautious of the known side effects of minoxidil or finasteride.
A lesser-known botanical treatment for hair loss is the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known also as Chinese hibiscus, Hawaiian hibiscus, or shoeblack plant. The leaves and flowers of the Chinese hibiscus have been clinically observed since the mid-twentieth century to promote hair growth and reduce graying of the hair, and have long made appearances in traditional texts for the same purposes. While the research comparing this hibiscus to treatments like minoxidil is lacking, a 2003 study did find the leaf extract of the plant exhibited potent hair growth when topically applied. The effects were statistically significant when compared to the control group, and also of note is that while both were topically applied, the leaf extract was much more potent in promoting hair growth than the flower extract.
Finally, we have Eclipta alba Hassk or Eclipta prostrata, commonly known as the false daisy and found widely in Ayurvedic medicine. When Eclipta extracts were incorporated into creams and topically applied, researchers found that the time for initiation of new hair growth greatly reduced, even when compared to controls using 2% minoxidil treatment. Further studies have shown that Eclipta appears to promote the proliferation of keratin in the hair matrix, suggesting that there is the potential for hair strengthening as well as new growth. As one of the rare herbal remedies that has been clinically compared to minoxidil, Eclipta extract is one of the more reliable choices for those going down the herbal route.
None of this is to say that one should necessarily choose an herbal treatment over anything else, but rather that there are a multitude of options available for those suffering hair loss. Furthermore, research has shown time and time again that when it comes to hair loss, treatments in conjunction tend to fare better than any single treatment alone (that’s why the Densella hair comb incorporates multiple clinically tested methods of hair growth!) so using an herbal remedy alongside minoxidil or the Densella method should be viewed as a potential added bonus, rather than a cure-all in and of itself. With that being said, always be careful to read the ingredients of anything purchased over the counter, as any product may contain either a deceptively low amount of the highlighted herb or include other potentially harmful ingredients, and verify the legitimacy of both product and company.
Your diet guru,
Melissa A.
If you’d like to read through the referenced journal articles in this post, feel free at the below links!
https://cdn.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/Document/September-2017/073020107.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(03)00231-9
https://doi.org/10.1159/000509905
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00403-008-0860-3