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Pygeum for Hair Loss

Pygeum africanum a herb derived from the bark of the African evergreen,which inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, is widely used in Europe to prevent and treat prostate problems and to prevent and treat male pattern baldness.

pygeum and hair loss

While saw palmetto extract is the far better known herbal medication to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate, pygeum may in many cases be superior for the treatment of the condition.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia or benign prostatic hypertrophy is a non-cancerous tissue growth of the prostate.

Among the early symptoms of the condition are prolonged dribbling after urination, as well as a decrease in the strength of the urinary stream.

The enlarged prostate will also interfere with ejaculatory power.

Practically all men experience an enlargement of the prostate as they age. Early symptoms usually set in after the age of 40. As the enlargement of the prostate gets worse, the most disturbing symptom is a persistent difficulty to pass water. This can become very uncomfortable and painful.

Next on the scene arrived Proscar, an oral medication with the generic name finasteride. Proscar has been proven to often shrink an enlarged prostate. It does so by interrupting some hormonal processes that are at the root of benign prostate hyperblasia, the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone.

The conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone is effected by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.

Proscar inhibits 5-alpha reductase and thereby the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, thus interrupting the chain that leads to cell growth in the prostate. But even though nerves are not cut as they often are in the case of surgery, all is not well at the sex front for those on Proscar.

Studies have proven what many men experienced when on Proscar: erections are hard to achieve and maintain.

There are three herbal preparations that have classically been used to facilitate urinary flow in older men: saw palmetto, nettle root, and pygeum africanum.

Since the beginning of the nineties, when in the US, restrictions on the promotion and sales of herbal medications were lifted, saw palmetto and, to a lesser extent, the other two herbals have been touted as a cheaper and healthier alternative to Proscar that works just as well.

And, most of all, the three herbal preparations are claimed NOT to interfere with sexual function (One US company marketing saw palmetto even promoted saw palmetto as the "sex pill of the nineties".)

The best studied among the three herbals is saw palmetto. There is no doubt that saw palmetto works. It does so in pretty much the same manner as Proscar: by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.

Unfortunately, saw palmetto is comparable to Proscar in another aspect. Personal experience suggests that saw palmetto also interferes with the erectile function. There will just be less sensation in the male organ, comparable to what happens to the sensation of one's legs if one sits for a long time.

Pygeum africanum and nettle root are less studied. While both will also result in making passing urine easier for men with enlarged prostates, most probably by effecting a reduction of the size of the gland, the mechanism by which this happens is not precisely known.

Further Reading

  • Introduction Nature usually has a solution for most health ailments and the problem with hair loss in no exception.

  • Saw Palmetto Natural Propecia

  • Nettles Applying an extract of Nettles to the scalp was said to stimulate hair growth, and chronic rheumatism was treated by placing nettle leaves directly on to the afflicted area.

  • Capsaicin Capsaicin induces the release of substance which is believed to play an important role in murine hair growth and cycle. 

  • Soy Extract An American Herb company was recently issued a patent for the use of soy extract for the treatment and prevention of hair loss.

  • Cayenne Pepper Excellent results have been seen with alopecia, male pattern baldness and excellent results also in women that have lost their hair.

  • Proanthocyanidin Natures Minoxidil

  • Pygeum Bark Pygeum africanum a herb derived from the bark of the African evergreen,which inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, is widely used in Europe to prevent and treat prostate problems and to prevent and treat male pattern baldness.

  • Sapote In Santo Domingo, the seed kernel oil is used as a skin ointment and as a hair dressing believed to stop falling hair.

  • Aromatherapy Evidently, one or more of the essential oils is able to promote hair regrowth.