I need to know once and for all. Does saw palmetto work for pattern hair loss?
Most of the excitement for using saw palmetto as a treatment for androgenic hair loss is based on its mechanism of action and the evidence that it works for prostate problems like benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Besides anecdotal reports, there is actually little evidence that it also works for hair loss.
There has been only one study thus far published in the medical literature examining saw palmetto to treat pattern baldness. In this small study, 6 out of then 10 subjects with androgenic alopecia who received saw palmetto were reported to benefit from the treatment. This is far too small a study to draw any conclusions on its efficacy for pattern hair loss.
6 out of 10 — I like those odds.