Oral and Topical Administration of Standardized Saw Palmetto Oil Reduces Hair Fall and Improves Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia Subjects: A 16-Week Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

November 2023 in “ Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology ”

Heggar Venkataramana Sudeep, S Rashmi, Thomas V Jestin, Aleksander Richards, Kuluvar Gouthamchandra, Kodimule Shyamprasad

saw palmetto VISPO androgenetic alopecia hair fall hair growth oral administration topical administration hair density hair thickness Dihydrotestosterone DHT 5α-reductase serum DHT levels AGA hair loss hair shedding hair regrowth

TLDR Saw palmetto extract reduced hair loss and improved hair growth in people with hair thinning.

A 16-week study involving 80 subjects with mild-to-moderate Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) found that both oral and topical applications of VISPO, a standardized saw palmetto extract, effectively reduced hair fall. The oral VISPO treatment group saw a 24.74% and 29% reduction in hair shedding after 8 and 16 weeks respectively, while the topical VISPO group saw a 12.08% and 22.19% reduction. Additionally, the oral VISPO group experienced a 5.17% increase in hair density and a significant increase in hair thickness, while the topical group saw a 7.61% increase in hair density after 16 weeks. The oral VISPO group also showed a significant reduction in serum Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, suggesting that oral VISPO could inhibit 5α-reductase activity, reducing DHT accumulation. The study concluded that VISPO can be effectively used in functional and cosmetic formulations for hair loss treatment, but longer-term treatment may be required for full hair regrowth in AGA patients.

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