Some women experience hair loss as a result of telogen effluvium (loss in the telogen phase of hair growth) due to a shock, an illness, stress or many other reasons. The hair very often grows back on its own. I suspect that women who have “great results” with products like Saw Palmetto or other so-called “natural” remedies often have telogen effluvium, which is self-limiting and usually the hair grows back on its own. Until there are randomized, clinical trials on these products using a large enough sample group (not 32 people, which I saw recently for the new product, Revela, there’s no way to know if they are truly effective. And as was previously very wisely said, every product has risks, including allergic reactions, so do be careful. Wishing you all the best from a fellow woman with hair loss, L.

Wanted to add that I’ve found improvement in hair growth using horsetail tinctures, but it may be important to note that in my experiences not herbal horsetail pills but horsetail extract in liquid form. I’ve been trying a tea as well, I do think these are the best methods for better absorption in the body, as opposed to the digestive route of pill form. I acquired the tincture from an herbalist (the horsetail was foraged, so this was a more “fresh” product). Unfortunately it’s hard to know the source of these herbs when we’re taking pills.

Would it have helped with my hair loss? I have no idea, but I just couldn’t stay on it with the heart palpitations. Sometimes it’s frustrating to see people on Youtube who have incredible success with things like Saw Palmetto. At this point I’ve accepted nothing will most likely work for me, it’ll just be a slow regression until a hair piece is needed.

Oh well – the real key is focusing on everything but my hair! Much love, V

Minoxidil and Finasteride.

Minoxidil (Most commonly known to people as Rogaine, however there are many different companies selling minoxidil)
Minoxidil was first introduced as an oral medication for the treatment of severe and recalcitrant hypertension in the 1970s. Coincidentally, physicians observed hair regrowth and generalized hypertrichosis in balding patients. Topical minoxidil has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of AGA.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6691938/

Finasteride (Propecia)
Finasteride is an FDA-approved pharmacologic agent for treating benign prostate hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) in men. In 1998, it received approval to treat male pattern hair loss at a dose of 1 mg.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513329/