People are always looking for a natural hair loss cure. They seem to think that something with the natural tag is better for you than a product that was designed specifically to treat the problem they are having. Finding a natural hair restoration remedy is really a good example of what happens and how it may or may not be better.
One of the big problems with trying to find a natural remedy for anything is that there usually has not been very much scientific study of the product and the possible unintentional side effects of its use. Any drug therapy that has been approved by the FDA, and really most natural remedies fall under the drug category because they claim to have some affect on your heath, has gone through extensive testing. Even at that sometimes a side-effect does not show up until years later. There are many natural extracts that really are not good for you but they keep being sold because the market is unregulated.
For example, one of the most effective drugs for the treatment of hair loss in men is Finasteride. It works by limiting the production of DHT in the body. DHT is a metabolite of testosterone and bonds with receptors on the hair follicles causing them to stop producing hair. It really works well and has helped thousands of men keep hair growing on their heads that would have normally fallen out. The only problem is the drug has a nasty side effect of causing birth defects in male babies. Thus, the prescription is not given to women of child bearing age. Makes sense right?
Well, there is also a natural hair restoration product that claims to have the same positive effect as Finasteride. Saw Palmetto extract come from a short palm plant in the Southeastern US. It is used to limit the production of DHT in the body as well. The problem is, no one has checked to see if it has the potential to cause birth defects like Finasteride. There may be pregnant women taking the drug and play Russian roulette who don’t even know it.
Although natural can be good, products are not always beneficial just because they are natural.