Serenoa repens
What is it?
Saw palmetto is a plant whose fruits have been used to treat various medical conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and other urological problems. Recently, it has been proposed for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.
What does it do for your skin?
Numerous studies show that Serenoa repens extract inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone by inhibiting the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase. Oral supplementation is therefore associated with a reduction in hair loss.
References:
Prager N et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Apr;8(2):143-52.
Dhariwala My et al. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019 Aug;18(4):966-975.