Androgenic alopecia, or male pattern hair loss, and female androgenic alopecia affect a lot of people. There are only two approved drugs on the market, and neither of them work very well. But some herbs do. If you added those herbs to those drugs, would the drugs work better?
Minoxidil and finasteride are the only two FDA‐approved drugs for male and female androgenic alopecia. But only about 20% of people who use them get substantial results.
This 6 month study compared the effectiveness of the drugs alone with the effectiveness of the drugs when natural supplements were added. The supplements included 320mg of saw palmetto extract, 320mg of pumpkin seed extract,425mg of L-cystine along with vitamin C and zinc.
The results were significant and astonishing. 36.5% of the supplement group experienced much improvement compared to 24% of the drug only group. 46% of the supplement group felt that the improvement in their hair was great compared to 30% of the drug only group.
This study shows that adding saw palmetto, pumpkin seed and the accompanying nutrients significantly increases the efficacy of hair loss drugs.
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025 Aug 25;24(9):e70388.