by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: I heard that taking folic acid helps hair to grow. Is this true? Does anything else work for a person losing their hair, such as the herb saw palmetto?
A: There are a lot of supplements and herbs that claim to bring back a full head of hair, but unfortunately, there is not a lot of solid evidence that they work.
Loss of hair, called alopecia, occurs for a variety of reasons. About 95% of the time, hair loss in both men and women is due to a genetic condition in which hair follicles produce an enzyme that reacts with testosterone to create a substance that accumulates in the follicles and shuts down the regeneration of hair. Normally, people lose and regrow hair daily, but in this case, much of the hair lost does not regrow. This type of alopecia is called androgenetic androgens are male hormones. It tends to happen slower in women than in men because they have less testosterone, although it is exacerbated by an imbalance of hormones, as occurs in menopause.
Other, temporary forms of hair loss may occur in patches, called alopecia areata, or may be distributed throughout the head. Circumstances such as thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy, prolonged fever, or stress can send hair follicles into a "rest phase" resulting in hair loss. Due to the potential connection of stress with this type of hair loss, many dermatologists recommend mind/body techniques such as hypnosis and relaxation as an adjunct to conventional treatment.
There are other non-genetic conditions leading to hair loss that can be resolved with proper treatment, so be sure to check with your doctor.
For men dealing with hair loss, there is no proven benefit of taking vitamins or supplements. For women who are iron deficient (which is common among women who are still menstruating), however, there is some evidence that an iron supplement, particularly in combination with vitamin C, can help hair to resume growing if it had stopped.
For proper growth, hair needs iron and vitamin C as well as folic acid, zinc, and biotin, therefore, some clinicians advocate taking a daily multivitamin with minerals. There is no definitive proof, however, that doing so will stimulate the growth of hair or prevent its loss. In addition, anyone at risk for heart disease post-menopausal women, smokers, and those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or a family history of heart disease should not take iron supplements. The other nutrients mentioned folate, vitamin C, zinc, and biotin are not harmful to take in reasonable levels for either men or women, but, again, there is no proof that they can effectively treat alopecia.
As far as saw palmetto is concerned, this popular herb has been shown, in the laboratory, to block the enzyme mentioned above that interacts with testosterone, leading to androgenetic alopecia. The blocking of a similar hormonal reaction by saw palmetto accounts for the reduction of symptoms from an enlarged prostate that has been shown in many research studies. Despite the success of saw palmetto in treating this other hormone-related problem, no studies to date have tested saw palmetto for the reversal of hair loss. Therefore, claims that this herbal remedy might stimulate hair growth or prevent its loss are still theoretical and need to be tested to determine their validity.
Q: I heard that taking folic acid helps hair to grow. Is this true? Does anything else work for a person losing their hair, such as the herb saw palmetto?
A: There are a lot of supplements and herbs that claim to bring back a full head of hair, but unfortunately, there is not a lot of solid evidence that they work.
Loss of hair, called alopecia, occurs for a variety of reasons. About 95% of the time, hair loss in both men and women is due to a genetic condition in which hair follicles produce an enzyme that reacts with testosterone to create a substance that accumulates in the follicles and shuts down the regeneration of hair. Normally, people lose and regrow hair daily, but in this case, much of the hair lost does not regrow. This type of alopecia is called androgenetic androgens are male hormones. It tends to happen slower in women than in men because they have less testosterone, although it is exacerbated by an imbalance of hormones, as occurs in menopause.
Other, temporary forms of hair loss may occur in patches, called alopecia areata, or may be distributed throughout the head. Circumstances such as thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy, prolonged fever, or stress can send hair follicles into a "rest phase" resulting in hair loss. Due to the potential connection of stress with this type of hair loss, many dermatologists recommend mind/body techniques such as hypnosis and relaxation as an adjunct to conventional treatment.
There are other non-genetic conditions leading to hair loss that can be resolved with proper treatment, so be sure to check with your doctor.
For men dealing with hair loss, there is no proven benefit of taking vitamins or supplements. For women who are iron deficient (which is common among women who are still menstruating), however, there is some evidence that an iron supplement, particularly in combination with vitamin C, can help hair to resume growing if it had stopped.
For proper growth, hair needs iron and vitamin C as well as folic acid, zinc, and biotin, therefore, some clinicians advocate taking a daily multivitamin with minerals. There is no definitive proof, however, that doing so will stimulate the growth of hair or prevent its loss. In addition, anyone at risk for heart disease post-menopausal women, smokers, and those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or a family history of heart disease should not take iron supplements. The other nutrients mentioned folate, vitamin C, zinc, and biotin are not harmful to take in reasonable levels for either men or women, but, again, there is no proof that they can effectively treat alopecia.
As far as saw palmetto is concerned, this popular herb has been shown, in the laboratory, to block the enzyme mentioned above that interacts with testosterone, leading to androgenetic alopecia. The blocking of a similar hormonal reaction by saw palmetto accounts for the reduction of symptoms from an enlarged prostate that has been shown in many research studies. Despite the success of saw palmetto in treating this other hormone-related problem, no studies to date have tested saw palmetto for the reversal of hair loss. Therefore, claims that this herbal remedy might stimulate hair growth or prevent its loss are still theoretical and need to be tested to determine their validity.