Medicine
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What are the Herbal Treatments for Hair Loss?

Tess C. Taylor
Tess C. Taylor

Baldness, or alopecia, is a common problem in both men and women. Many popular herbal treatments for hair loss can alleviate this. These herbal remedies include green tea, saw palmetto, tea tree oil, ginkgo biloba, and stinging nettle. While these herbal treatments for hair loss work in different ways and have limited success for some people, they’ve been used for centuries to correct hair loss and encourage the regrowth of healthy hair.

Green Tea, also known as camellia sinesis, is used in hair restoration treatments around the world. It is believed to work by cutting down levels of testosterone in the bloodstream. This can reduce hair loss, particularly in women.

A man with a bald spot.
A man with a bald spot.

Saw Palmetto, or seranoa repens, made from the berries of a tropical plant, works by improving blood flow to the endocrine system. This helps bring more nutrients to the scalp and encourages hair regrowth. Saw palmetto is found in many tinctures, shampoos, and lotions used to treat the scalp and hair shafts.

Another of the well-known herbal treatments for hair loss is tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, which is derived from a tree found in Australia. Tea tree oil's healing and regeneration properties are also beneficial for hair loss and baldness. The herbal oils can be rubbed into balding areas of the scalp or added to shampoos and conditioners.

Saw palmetto is one of several herbal remedies that may be able to treat hair loss.
Saw palmetto is one of several herbal remedies that may be able to treat hair loss.

Ginkgo biloba is found in many herbal treatments for hair because it is believed to improve the circulation of blood in many areas of the body, including the skin and other organs. Improved blood flow takes more nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles to decrease baldness and regrow hair. Ginkgo biloba is most often used in its dry form and can be added in combination with other beneficial herbal treatments for hair loss, such as teas, shampoos, and lotions.

Hair loss can be caused by age, diet and medications.
Hair loss can be caused by age, diet and medications.

Stinging nettle, or urtica dioica, is a flowering plant found in many regions of the world that is generally used in teas and suspended in herbal oils to cleanse the body of toxins. Hormone imbalances, which dump too many hair-inhibiting components into the body, can be flushed out by stinging nettle.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A man with a bald spot.
      A man with a bald spot.
    • Saw palmetto is one of several herbal remedies that may be able to treat hair loss.
      By: Melpomene
      Saw palmetto is one of several herbal remedies that may be able to treat hair loss.
    • Hair loss can be caused by age, diet and medications.
      By: diego cervo
      Hair loss can be caused by age, diet and medications.