Can Pumpkin Seed Oil and Saw Palmetto Help with Extreme Hair Loss?

Reader question:
“Has anyone tried pumpkin seed and palmetto to help with extreme hair loss?”

Yes, both pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto are commonly used in hair supplements, and there is some evidence suggesting they may help — particularly when hair loss has an androgenetic (pattern hair loss) component.

However, if you're experiencing extreme or sudden shedding, it's important to understand what is causing it first.

Pumpkin Seed Oil for Hair Loss

Pumpkin seed oil is one of the more interesting natural ingredients for hair loss.

A placebo-controlled study in men with androgenetic alopecia found that those taking pumpkin seed oil for 24 weeks experienced significantly greater improvements in hair count than the placebo group.

There has also been research specifically involving women. A small clinical trial in women with female pattern hair loss found improvements after three months of topical pumpkin seed oil treatment, although more research is needed.

What About Saw Palmetto?

Saw palmetto is another popular ingredient, largely because of its potential anti-androgenic activity.

A systematic review found encouraging results from several studies involving oral and topical saw palmetto products for androgenetic alopecia and other forms of thinning, although the researchers stressed that the evidence isn't yet strong enough to put it in the same category as established hair-loss treatments.

So, can pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto be taken together?

They frequently appear together in hair supplements and can make a sensible combination, particularly as part of a broader hair-support routine.

But I wouldn't rely on these two ingredients alone for extreme hair loss.

Heavy shedding can have many triggers, including stress, rapid weight loss, illness, hormonal changes, low iron/ferritin, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies and certain medications. If one of these is driving the shedding, addressing that trigger is likely to be far more important than simply adding another supplement.

Our View

Pumpkin seed oil: 👍 Promising
Saw palmetto: 👍 Worth considering
Using both: 👍 A sensible combination

There's enough evidence behind both ingredients to make them worth considering, and a recent review of clinical trials into supplements for androgenetic alopecia also found encouraging results for pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto. However, larger and better-quality studies are still needed.

For significant hair loss, we'd generally favour a comprehensive hair supplement containing these ingredients alongside other useful vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts, rather than taking pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto in isolation.

And remember: hair treatments are slow. Whatever approach you choose, think in terms of months rather than weeks before judging whether it's helping.