If you’re looking for natural ways to promote hair health, you might’ve read that you can use pumpkin seed oil for hair loss. But, you might be wondering, is this just an old wives’ tale, or can pumpkin seed oil really promote hair growth?
Long story short, there’s a little evidence that pumpkin seed oil stimulates hair growth or stops hair thinning. It needs to be studied further before we know whether it works for sure.
Still the current research is promising. It’s one of those natural remedies that is unlikely to harm you — so it might be worth trying.
Before you hit the shelves at your local wellness store, let’s talk about the science behind this natural hair loss remedy. We’ll take a look at the alleged benefits of pumpkin seed oil for hair loss, as well as a few science-backed hair loss therapies.
What is Pumpkin Seed Oil?
Before we get into the specifics on pumpkin seed oil’s potential effect on hair growth, let’s quickly go over what pumpkin seed oil actually is.
Pumpkin seed oil is extracted from the roasted seeds of pumpkins. It’s commonly used as a cooking oil and is known for being rich in:
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Essential fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties
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Vitamins like vitamin E, an antioxidant
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Minerals, including magnesium
You can use pumpkin seed oil for cooking or making salad dressings. Pumpkin seed oil supplements are sold in capsule or liquid form.
Is Pumpkin Seed Oil Effective for Hair Loss?
If you browse certain natural wellness stores, you might find “hair growth oils” that contain a combination of pumpkin seed extract and essential oils, such as jojoba or rosemary oils.
But can pumpkin seed oil regrow hair? The research is far from conclusive, but a few studies are fairly optimistic.
A placebo-controlled trial published in 2014 involved giving participants a daily 400mg pumpkin seed oil supplement for 24 weeks. Those who took the supplement experienced 30 percent more hair growth than those who received the placebo.
Promising, right?
The issue, though, is that the supplement used in the trial didn’t just contain pumpkin seed oil. It also included:
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Mixed vegetable powder
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Evening primrose powder
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Corn silk powder
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Red clover powder
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Tomato powder
It’s not clear whether a supplement that contains pumpkin seed oil alone will produce the same effects. Also, the study was fairly small, with fewer than 100 male participants.
Another small study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2021 compared the effects of pumpkin seed oil vs minoxidil in women with signs of female pattern hair loss.
Unlike in the study mentioned above, the pumpkin seed oil was applied topically to the scalp.
The researchers found that the treatment produced measurable improvements in hair count and hair thickness. The study concluded that pumpkin seed oil has a “promising potential role” in preventing hair loss.
While these findings are exciting, they should be taken with a grain of salt. The sample sizes for these studies were fairly small, so more research is needed to conclude whether pumpkin seed oil has any true benefits for hair loss.
The Science of Pumpkin Seed Oil for Hair Loss
If pumpkin seed oil can treat hair loss, how and why does it work?
Pumpkin seeds naturally contain chemicals called phytosterols. They’re like cholesterols, except they tend to have more beneficial effects.
Research suggests that the phytosterols in pumpkin seed oil could block an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. Ditto with linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in pumpkin seeds.
Without much 5-alpha reductase, your body produces less dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a male hormone that is responsible for female and male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia.
DHT can bind to the receptors in your scalp, damaging your hair follicles so that they can’t produce new hairs. This causes pattern baldness, which is characterized by thinning hair on the crown of your scalp or an M-shaped receding hairline.
Incidentally, high levels of DHT can also cause a prostate issue called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Hair aside, pumpkin seed oil is associated with improvements in symptoms of prostate enlargement.
This all suggests that pumpkin seed oil can reduce male pattern hair loss by lowering DHT levels. But this needs to be studied further before we know for sure.
It’s always possible that pumpkin seed oil’s apparent effects aren’t related to DHT — or aren’t as significant as they appear based on the evidence that’s currently available.
Can pumpkin seed oil regrow hair lost because of other conditions? It’s not clear. For now, the research has primarily focused on androgenetic alopecia. There are very few studies on pumpkin seed oil and other types of hair loss.
In addition to pumpkin seed oil, DHT levels might possibly be lowered by other natural extracts.
For example, a 2016 study demonstrated that saw palmetto inhibits 5-alpha reductase in a similar way, suggesting that it may also be an effective natural treatment for certain forms of hair loss.
Who Should Use Pumpkin Seed Oil For Hair Loss?
Because there are few studies on pumpkin seed oil for hair loss, there’s a lot we don’t know about who should take it and who should avoid it.
The above-mentioned studies noted little to no side effects of pumpkin seed oil. But that doesn’t mean no side effects exist. You should definitely avoid it if you’re allergic to pumpkin or if it irritates your skin.
Beyond that, using pumpkin seed oil to treat hair loss — whether you apply it to your scalp or take it as a daily supplement — probably won’t hurt your hairline.
Word to the wise, though: Pumpkin seed oil isn’t a replacement for conventional hair loss treatments such as minoxidil or finasteride.
Unlike pumpkin seed oil, these FDA-approved treatments are backed by plenty of robust research. According to this research, both minoxidil and finasteride can slow down hair loss and promote hair regrowth.
When it comes to stopping hair loss, time is of the essence. The longer you put it off, the more hair you’ll lose, and the less likely you are to regrow hair.
So it’s a good idea to use a science-backed treatment as a first port-of-call.
If you’d like to add pumpkin seed oil to your hair care routine, it’s a good idea to chat with a healthcare professional first. They can advise you on whether it’ll be safe and whether you can use pumpkin seed oil along with finasteride or minoxidil.
Our list of ways to grow hair fast for men also shares other natural ways to stimulate hair growth.
How to Use Pumpkin Seed Oil for Hair Growth
There are several ways to add pumpkin seed oil to your hair care routine. These include taking a pumpkin seed oil dietary supplement, applying pumpkin seed oil to your scalp or switching to a shampoo that contains pumpkin seed oil as an active ingredient.
Taking a Pumpkin Seed Oil Supplement
Pumpkin seed oil is widely available as a dietary supplement. These products are often labeled as “prostate support” supplements — as mentioned, it’s thought that pumpkin seed oil can reduce levels of DHT, a hormone that can cause pattern baldness as well as prostate issues.
If you use a pumpkin seed oil supplement, make sure to closely follow the dosage instructions found on the product’s label.
It’s also important to know that supplements, including pumpkin seed oil supplements, aren’t regulated by the FDA in the same way other foods and drugs are.
This means the quality of supplements may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. For your safety, only ever buy dietary supplements from a reputable source — it’s a matter of health, so it’s really worth doing your homework before heading to the checkout.
Consuming Pumpkin Seed Oil Orally
You can consume pumpkin seed oil in its liquid form orally. Many people who use pumpkin seed oil for its potential health benefits take between one and three teaspoons of pumpkin seed oil per day.
Pumpkin seed oil can also be used as a cooking ingredient, although its low smoke point makes it difficult to use this type of oil for dishes cooked at a high heat. For this reason, many prefer to use it in dressings.
Topical Pumpkin Seed Oil
Another option is to apply pumpkin seed oil directly to your scalp. You can do this with a hot oil treatment, or by switching from your regular shampoo to one that contains pumpkin seed oil as an active ingredient.
As a bonus hair care tip, give yourself a scalp massage while applying the oil. Not only does massage support scalp health and promote hair growth, it can also be a great way to unwind.
When it comes to the topical application of any hair product, it’s a good idea to do a “patch test” on your inner arm before applying it to your scalp. If your skin is irritated during the patch test, rather avoid using it.
Make sure not to get hot oil hair treatments too often, as this may cause your scalp and hair to become overly oily.
Other Options for Stimulating Hair Growth
Although pumpkin seed oil might have potential for increased hair growth, it’s far from the only option out there if you’re losing hair and want to do something about it.
Currently, the most effective therapies for hair loss are the medications finasteride and minoxidil.
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Finasteride is a prescription medication that stops your body from producing DHT. It’s specifically used to treat male pattern hair loss. You’ll first notice results after 12 to 24 weeks of treatment.
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Minoxidil is an over-the-counter hair loss medication that you apply to your scalp. It speeds up the hair growth cycle, stimulating hair growth. You can try minoxidil solution or minoxidil foam.
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Topical finasteride & minoxidil spray is a double-whammy, giving you the best of both worlds. Research shows minoxidil and finasteride can be more effective when used together.
The Bottom Line on Pumpkin Seed Oil and Hair Growth
For men looking to stop hair loss in its tracks, pumpkin seed oil might seem like a product worth trying. But it’s important to keep its limitations in mind.
Let’s recap the basics:
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There’s very little definitive research on it. Pumpkin seed oil may reduce production of DHT, the androgen that causes balding. But there needs to be more placebo-controlled trials before we know for sure.
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You can use it in liquid or capsule form. There is research on the topical application of pumpkin seed oil for hair loss as well as oral capsules. So far, no research has shown that one form is better than the other.
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It’s not nearly as well-studied as other treatments. The research on pumpkin seed oil vs minoxidil and finasteride is pretty much chalk and cheese. If you’re looking for rigorously researched hair loss treatments, start with minoxidil and finasteride.
The sooner you treat hair loss, the better. Our advice? Go straight for science-backed hair loss treatments rather than wasting time and money on something that may not work at all.
Want to nip balding in the bud? A good first step is to talk to an expert.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Can Finasteride Help With My Particular Type of Hair Loss? Everything You Need to Know
If you’ve been looking into Propecia or its generic finasteride, for hair loss, you probably have many questions. Good news! As you might expect from the headline, we’re here to answer a lot of them at once. The first thing to know? Finasteride is a popular and safe medication for hair loss that is effective for many men with few adverse effects.
Oral finasteride does two things: it prevents further hair loss due to androgenic alopecia by protecting follicles and promotes hair growth on the scalp. It’s one of the few treatments for male pattern baldness on the market today that have been proven effective.
How it works, how much to take and what side effects to expect — that’s what we’ll dive into below.
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You may have heard of finasteride, a generic medication also sold as Propecia or Proscar. Propecia is a brand name that’s used to market finasteride sold by the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Finasteride, whether a generic or brand name, is used to treat androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness.
Originally, finasteride was FDA-approved as medication for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH — a form of non-cancerous prostate enlargement — under the brand name Proscar.
Several years later, it was approved for hair loss and sold as Propecia. Today, both versions of finasteride — the higher-dose version used to treat an enlarged prostate gland and the lower-dose version used for hair loss — are available as generics and under various brand names.
Finasteride comes in tablet form and is designed for daily use, according to an article published in the book StatPearls. It’s typically prescribed at 1mg per day as a treatment for hair loss.
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Finasteride tablets belong to a class of medications called 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, or 5-ARIs. It works by inhibiting the action of the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme, which is involved in converting testosterone into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT plays a central role in male pattern baldness. If you’re genetically prone to hair loss, DHT can bind to receptors in your hair follicles and cause them to miniaturize, resulting in a gradual loss of hair around your hairline, crown or across your scalp.
By inhibiting the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme, finasteride significantly reduces the amount of DHT in your bloodstream, shielding your hair follicles from DHT-related damage.
Research shows that using finasteride as recommended lowers serum DHT levels (the amount of DHT in your bloodstream) by more than 70 percent.
This reduction in DHT can slow, or even stop, your hair loss. Many men even notice a significant degree of hair regrowth in areas of the scalp affected by male pattern baldness after starting treatment with finasteride.
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So, does finasteride produce results? For most men, absolutely.
Research shows that finasteride works, often very well. In long-term, placebo-controlled clinical trials published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings, 90 percent of men with hair loss who used finasteride either maintained their hair or saw improvements in hair growth.
In comparison, 75 percent of men who used a non-therapeutic placebo experienced worsening hair loss over the same period.
In one study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology that involved two one-year clinical trials, researchers found that finasteride produced a more than 15 percent increase in hair count at the vertex scalp (the crown or area at the top of the scalp) in men with male pattern baldness.
Another study from Japan, which covered ten years of finasteride use, found that more than 90 percent of men with androgenetic hair loss who use finasteride experience improvements.
In short, finasteride works, with most men experiencing improvements in their hair growth and density with treatment.
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It’s common and normal to experience a little bit of hair loss daily. Most guys shed 50 and 100 hairs per day, even if they aren’t affected by male androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness.
If you’re one of the many men with male pattern baldness, however, the hair loss you see is due to the effects of a hormone — an androgen — killing off their hair follicles.
Currently, finasteride is FDA-approved to treat male pattern baldness, the most common type of hair loss in men.
However, male pattern hair loss isn’t the only type of hair loss. Other types of hair loss that can affect you include:
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Telogen effluvium. This is a temporary form of hair loss caused by severe stress, infections, surgery, illnesses that cause fever, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes and certain types of medication.
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Alopecia areata. This is a form of autoimmune hair loss, in which your hair can fall out in small, round patches. Experts aren’t entirely sure what triggers this type of hair loss, although it may be related to stress, infections and certain medications.
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Tinea capitis. Also referred to as scalp ringworm, this type of fungal infection can cause patchy hair loss.
Since DHT doesn’t cause these types of hair loss, finasteride isn’t effective at slowing them down, stopping them or reversing their effects.
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Like almost all medications, finasteride can cause side effects. Most side effects of finasteride for hair loss are generally mild, although some may impact your quality of life.
Potential side effects of finasteride include:
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Decreased libido
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Pain or discomfort that affects the testicles
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ED or problems, such as decreased volume
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Changes in mood or depression
Side effects — such as ED, difficulty coming and a weaker drive — can sound alarming, and they can happen. But there are also a variety of things you can do to counteract this effect.
Although it’s uncommon in the low-strength version of finasteride used to treat hair loss, some men who use Proscar also report side effects such as breast tenderness and skin rashes. If you experience breast tenderness or nipple discharge, report these side effects to a healthcare provider, as they may be a sign of breast cancer.
Although the risk is low, finasteride is also associated with an increased risk of getting a more severe form of prostate cancer called high-grade prostate cancer.
In men over 55 years old, the risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer increases from 1.0 percent to 1.8 percent with the use of 5mg finasteride.
It’s important to note that this incidence of this severe side effect is from a far higher dosage of finasteride (5 mg tablet vs. 1 mg) than the dose that’s used to treat hair loss.
We also have some more good news about side effects — per the FDA label for finasteride, no significant drug interactions are associated with this medication.
Be sure to seek medical advice and tell a healthcare professional about all your current medications, supplements and health risks before using finasteride.
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It’s important to look at these side effects in context before you write off finasteride as a hair loss treatment.
Even in studies of Proscar, the high-strength 5mg version of finasteride, only a small percentage of men report these side effects.
For example, in clinical studies of finasteride for BPH, just over eight percent of men reported an effect on their erections, with 6.4 percent and 3.7 percent of men reporting decreases in libido and a reduced volume, respectively.
Other finasteride side effects, such as breast tenderness and rash, were reported by less than one percent of men who used finasteride in clinical trials.
In clinical trials involving the 1mg per day dose used to treat hair loss, ED from finasteride was far less common, with just 1.8 percent of men reporting a weakened libido and 1.3 percent reporting ED.
It’s worth noting that many men who took a non-therapeutic placebo also reported these side effects.
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As with many other medications, some side effects of finasteride may fade away or become less severe with long-term use.
Although this is uncommon, a small percentage of men may continue to experience adverse events after discontinuing the use of finasteride.
(Related: Does Topical Finasteride Work? What Should You Expect)
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Finasteride is typically sold in two dosages. As a treatment for male pattern baldness, it’s used at a dosage of 1 mg per day.
This is the dose of finasteride you’ll find in most generic versions of finasteride for hair loss, as well as the brand-name medication Propecia.
As a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), finasteride is used at a dosage of 5 mg per day.
This dose can be found in generic forms of finasteride and the brand-name medication Proscar.
People who are breastfeeding, pregnant women, people with liver disease and those taking medications like dutasteride should consult their healthcare provider before taking finasteride.
If you experience an allergic reaction, stop taking finasteride and contact a healthcare provider.
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Finasteride is effective, but there’s one catch: it doesn’t work overnight. To get consistent results from finasteride, you’ll need to have a long-term outlook and take it consistently for several months.
On average, it takes three to four months to see new hair or any other improvements from finasteride.
This isn’t because the medication isn’t working. In fact, finasteride starts reducing DHT levels as soon as your body absorbs it.
But your hair takes time to grow, meaning you’ll need to be patient before the effects of finasteride become visible.
Data from clinical trials shows that most guys experience improvements from finasteride after a year of consistent use.
In short, once you start using finasteride, you can expect to see some change in your hair after a few months.
After one year of continuous use, you should be able to see more “final” results from finasteride.
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For most men, finasteride is an effective option for treating and preventing hair loss from male pattern baldness.
However, it’s not the only hair loss treatment that’s available. Other affordable and effective hair loss treatment options include:
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Minoxidil. Minoxidil, a topical medication, helps improve blood flow to the scalp and stimulate hair growth. Research shows that minoxidil is particularly effective when it’s used at the same time as finasteride.
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Hair loss prevention shampoo. Many shampoos, including those that contain active ingredients such as saw palmetto and ketoconazole, are formulated to prevent excess hair shedding and promote optimal hair growth.
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Is finasteride hair growth the most efficient way to treat hair loss? It’s hard to say. But we know that there are countless men out there who will try just about anything they can to stop male pattern baldness instead of waiting the year for finasteride to work.
Unfortunately, many of the hair loss treatments currently on the market either don’t work or are effective but very expensive. These include:
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Laser combs and other products. Often referred to as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), these products use laser light to stimulate the hair follicles. Research is mixed on their effectiveness, and many of these devices cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
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Hair oils. Several essential oils are marketed as treatments for pattern hair loss. While some have been shown to have mild benefits in small studies, none are as effective as FDA-approved hair loss treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil.
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Corticosteroids. These medications are used to reduce inflammation, which can cause hair loss in certain situations. While they may be useful for some non-hormonal forms of hair loss, there’s no evidence that they prevent or slow down pattern hair loss. In addition, topical corticosteroids may be prescribed for certain inflammatory scalp conditions, but they’re not used for male pattern baldness.
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Hair transplant surgery. Although hair transplant surgery is effective, it’s an expensive option. The cost of a hair transplant can vary from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of your hair loss and the number of grafts required.
Out of all the hair loss remedies, only two offer a good combination of affordability and efficacy — oral finasteride and topical minoxidil.
(Related: Does Minoxidil Work For a Receding Hairline?)
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Finasteride is popular for a reason — more than any other hair loss medication, it’s effective at slowing down, stopping and even reversing the effects of male pattern baldness.
Losing your hair is never easy, but fortunately, hair loss isn’t something you have to live with. If you’re one of the tens of millions of men in the United States affected by this condition, taking early action can help you to enjoy a fuller, thicker head of hair throughout your life.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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