According to a recent survey, more than 85 million of men and women in the U.S. alone experience progressive hair thinning, which gradually leads to baldness. This is the most common form of baldness called androgenic (sometimes androgenetic) alopecia, also known as male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness (in males and females respectively.) This article will primarily deal with male-pattern baldness (although the names are similar, the causes of baldness in males and females are slightly different.)
When male-pattern baldness developes, the hair constantly gets thinner and thinner until it is gone. The primary cause of it is the human hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT.) When there is too much DHT in the scalp, it binds itself to the hair follicles blocking the blood supply and preventing their growth. As time passes, the follicles, missing the necessary nutrients, shrink and the hair shaft width is decreased. As a result of this, the hair gets thinner. When the hair shaft becomes too small, no new hair can grow from the follicle.
Although there are such prescription drugs as Finasteride (marketed as Propecia), which claim to reduce the level of DHT, they are not the best solution to the problem of baldness. Being synthetic chemicals, the prescription drugs often have serious side-effects (e.g. there are documented cases of erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia among users of Finasteride.)
Fortunately, there are natural supplements available, which can block DHT just as well or even better than prescription drugs. Among such natural ingredients are Saw Palmetto (an efficient herbal DHT blocker), zinc and extract of pumpkin seeds (which prevents conversion of testosterone into DHT thus reducing the overall DHT concentration.) A good herbal hair loss cure should also contain nutrients to promote fast regrowth of hair follicles damaged by DHT.
