Saw Palmetto, A Weak Finasteride, Studies And My Experience. (2025)

checkers2 said:

So ive been taking SP for a bout 2 weeks now... maybe a bit longer but ive been gradually increasing the amount i take so i doubt it was really doing much 4 weeks ago. I am currently at approximately 320mg a day.

No change in hair quality,I have these hairs at the front which have just turned wispy... i am hoping they will be the first to change and start to get stronger...(is that how this works when/if a treatmeant becomes effective? hairs in their dieing phase start to get stronger?) anyways i wasnt expecting any change this soon (still hoping there might have been) and this isnt the reason im posting.

I havnt really gotten morning wood for a few years now, and boners with the ladies was usually facilitated by some prescription help. However today i woke up with some morning glory. Looked down and "said hey buddy" after a lil cuddling with the girlfriend we proceeded to have some sexuals, and it was awesome. Havnt been able to do that whithout help in awhile. Wondering if the SP might be doing it?

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Sudden Increase In Libido And Erectile Strength When Starting Supplements; i have experienced it... but soon it does down after a few weeks ...

pegasus2 said:

Let's approach this logically.

How does finasteride work? It reduces dht levels by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase type II
How does saw palmetto work? It reduces dht levels by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase type II
The more you inhibit 5-alpha reductase, the less hair loss you will have
So it follows that the side effects and results from using saw palmetto will be the same as from using finasteride.
If 580 mg of saw palmetto reduces dht by 20%, and .10 mg of finasteride also lowers dht by 20% then they will have the exact same
effect on your hair, and on your libido. Taking saw palmetto is not a way to get results while avoiding side effects. You likely won't get any side effects, but you won't get any results either. You'd need a higher dose to inhibit 5-alpha reductase enough to protect your hair, and at that dose you'd get the same side effects that you would from finasteride.

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Have you read this article? https://perfecthairhealth.com/saw-palmetto-for-hair-growth/
It points out that due to the fact that saw palmetto inhibits 5-AR type II different to how finasteride does, that that is *possibly* how saw palmetto could have much lower rate of side effects (and less permanent) than finasteride (discounting the fact that finasteride lowers DHT by a lot more). And it does point out that, in the medical literature, there weren't any cases of sexual side effects on saw palmetto.
One thing I noticed from the article is that saw palmetto has no effect on serum DHT (unlike fina), which would also contribute. As I understand it, saw palmetto is only confirmed to lower DHT localised to the prostate, which may or may not have a correlation with DHT in the scalp (no research papers have confirmed this, to my knowledge).

5minutesbeforemiracle said:

Have you read this article? https://perfecthairhealth.com/saw-palmetto-for-hair-growth/
It points out that due to the fact that saw palmetto inhibits 5-AR type II different to how finasteride does, that that is *possibly* how saw palmetto could have much lower rate of side effects (and less permanent) than finasteride (discounting the fact that finasteride lowers DHT by a lot more). And it does point out that, in the medical literature, there weren't any cases of sexual side effects on saw palmetto.
One thing I noticed from the article is that saw palmetto has no effect on serum DHT (unlike fina), which would also contribute. As I understand it, saw palmetto is only confirmed to lower DHT localised to the prostate, which may or may not have a correlation with DHT in the scalp (no research papers have confirmed this, to my knowledge).

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thank u for the insightful info.in fact i was on fina 1mg for few months in 2005 . i stopped taking it ... i was a good responder to fina ... but the sides put me off... started to affect my mood...but after stopping it male pattern baldness has been very slow and gradual

pegasus2 said:

Let's approach this logically.

How does finasteride work? It reduces dht levels by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase type II
How does saw palmetto work? It reduces dht levels by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase type II
The more you inhibit 5-alpha reductase, the less hair loss you will have
So it follows that the side effects and results from using saw palmetto will be the same as from using finasteride.
If 580 mg of saw palmetto reduces dht by 20%, and .10 mg of finasteride also lowers dht by 20% then they will have the exact same
effect on your hair, and on your libido. Taking saw palmetto is not a way to get results while avoiding side effects. You likely won't get any side effects, but you won't get any results either. You'd need a higher dose to inhibit 5-alpha reductase enough to protect your hair, and at that dose you'd get the same side effects that you would from finasteride.

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did i miss something ? i read you defending dht blockers like a soldier for the last year on this forum

did you change your mind on it ? cheers

pegasus2 said:

Not at all. I'm just saying there's no "natural" alternative that is any "safer".

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ok so you are still on duta. my bad but i thought i remembered you back then saying that side effects from fina are only 2-3 % of people taking it (stating mercs famous study)

pegasus2 said:

They are. If you are talking about meaningful side effects.

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okay.. well anythong that touch your sexuality (even if its juste by -10%) start to be meaningful. but this is pretty subjective. im pretty sure some guys would be willing to give 50 % of their ''sexual drive'' for more hairs.

pegasus2 said:

Some guys would give 50% of their sex drive just to not be horny all the time.

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dam, i like being horny lol

sonictemples said:

Being horny can be a b**ch sometimes but when I got off of finasteride and everything went back to normal I felt better and sexually healthier. My sides on it were very mild and actually made me think with my brain more than with my dick. That being said sexual health is valuable. We are all in this world to survive and multiply after all.

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In his early psychoanalytic theory, Freud proposed The energy created by the life instincts is known as libido drives us all.

MikeJay said:

In his early psychoanalytic theory, Freud proposed The energy created by the life instincts is known as libido drives us all.

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One of my mentors once said, the steering wheel of a man is his veneer (mispelled on purpose).

sonictemples said:

Being horny can be a b**ch sometimes but when I got off of finasteride and everything went back to normal I felt better and sexually healthier. My sides on it were very mild and actually made me think with my brain more than with my dick. That being said sexual health is valuable. We are all in this world to survive and multiply after all.

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it can be a b**ch maybe from 13 to 26-27.... but once you start to lose 0.5-2% of you testosterone a year, you wish you would have more and start to regreat those ''super horny'' years.

anyway i got a question:

it is generally recommended for one to get the Saw Palmetto with 85-90% standardized extracts. I see some sold without that statement. Whats the difference between the two?

Aethas said:

Gamma linolenic acid is the essential fatty acid you want to block dht while getTing a strong anti inflammatory effect and increase in libido / sperm count

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i see slight increase in hair appearance after starting on MSM and flax oil

MikeJay said:

i see slight increase in hair appearance after starting on MSM and flax oil

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i dont understand how msm pills can be good for hair loss ? how long have you tested it

MikeJay said:

i see slight increase in hair appearance after starting on MSM and flax oil

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Msm is really good and quite cheap, it is great for increasing de permeability of your body and to reduce scar/fibrin/tgf-beta1 while providing you sulfur. All of that is really great for hair. You could try out black Currant seed oil for hair, it is The only oil with coconut oil that my hair seem to like.

Vinc2097 said:

i dont understand how msm pills can be good for hair loss ? how long have you tested it

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i have used it since 2019 december

MikeJay said:

i have used it since 2019 december

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and how do you now it is working for hair loss, do you take any others meds or supplements ?

Vinc2097 said:

and how do you now it is working for hair loss, do you take any others meds or supplements ?

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hair has become slightly thicker and volume....it laso controls the itching and scarring ( the burning feeling u get when u put shampoo on your head while having male pattern baldness