Natural Hair Loss Treatments Not Helping My Receding Hairline'

Name: Stephen

Question: Hello, I am 21 years old and have just in the last 6 months noticed my hairline receding and in general hair thinning. Hair loss runs in my dads side of the family, yet both my older brothers have full hair. I have tried natural treatments like saw palmetto and coconut oil but it hasn’t made much of a difference over the last 4 months. Again I’m 21 and am not at all ready to loose my hair yet! Help

Answer: Hi, Stephen. Hereditary hair loss can affect different members of the family in different ways, but this doesn't rule it out in your case.

The relevant genes for Male Pattern Baldness can be passed on but will only cause hairloss if they are active. They can remain dormant, in which case that person has the genes and can pass them on to their children but will not necessarily develop the classic pattern hair loss signs associated with this common condition themselves.

Even in those with active 'balding genes' the onset and rate of shedding may differ. Some people will develop the condition earlier than others, and the hair thinning process will not necessarily go at the same speed for everyone either. There are many factors involved in determining when a man with a genetic predisposition to androgenetic alopecia will start to lose his hair and how fast this may happen, which is why it is not necessarily helpful to compare yourself to your brothers. Continues below...



In terms of natural hair loss treatments, coconut oil will not reverse or prevent male hair loss, it can simply help to keep the hair you already have in good condition. This is more of a hair care product than a hair growth treatment.

Saw Palmetto is believed to be a natural 5-alpha reductase inhibitor that may slow down the balding process. There have not been any large scale or wide-ranging clinical trials into this so it remains unproven. 5-alpha reductase is the enzyme which converts testosterone to dihyrotestosterone (DHT). It is DHT which latches on to the hair follicles around the top of the scalp in cases of genetic hair loss, causing their gradual weakening which leads to thinning hair and can cause eventual baldness. So, if something can reduce the impact of the DHT - such as by minimising its production - this is thought to prevent hair loss, and this is the school of thought behind saw palmetto.

There only two clinically-proven hair loss treatments for male pattern baldness and neither of these are natural. Finasteride 1mg is an once-a-day oral DHT inhibitor which is taken in tablet form and can be used alone or alongside the other MHRA licensed and FDA approved treatment, high strength minoxidil, to promote hair growth.

Additional hair growth supporting products can also be used in tandem with these medications, such as FDA-cleared LLLT devices and Belgravia's exclusive Hair Vitalics for Men food supplement, which contains saw palmetto alongside a premium blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanicals - including biotin, selenium and zinc for the maintenance of normal healthy hair growth.

We would advise you to have a personal consultation with a hair loss specialist in order to determine your suitability for treatment and to find out which is likely to be the best option for you.