Fight Female Hair Loss
August 2025 Issue

Fight Female Hair Loss

Two plant extracts may help resolve hair loss and restore healthy hair growth. In clinical trials, one extract decreased hair loss by 48% while the second reduced hair shedding by 34%.

Scientifically reviewed by: Gary Gonzalez, MD, in July 2025. Written by: Marsha McCulloch, MS, RD.

Hair loss isn’t just a problem for men.

It affects about half of all women in their lifetime.1,2

Thinning hair or bald spots can negatively affect a woman’s emotional well-being and quality of life.2-4 The few medications approved for hair loss can be unpleasant to use and have unwanted side effects.5

Scientists have identified two well-tolerated plant-derived ingredients that have been shown to combat hair loss.

In a clinical trial, women with thinning hair and hair loss who took gluten-free wheat ceramides had a stunning 48% decrease in hair loss from baseline and a 12.5% improvement in hair growth as compared to placebo.6

In another clinical trial, women with hair loss who took saw palmetto oil reduced hair shedding by 34% and increased hair thickness from baseline.7

Together, these oral extracts may help resolve the top causes of hair loss in women and restore healthy hair growth.

Understanding Female Hair Loss

Hair grows in cycles. Usually, most hair is in the anagen (growth) phase, while approximately 10% is in the telogen (resting) phase.8,9

The most common types of hair loss in women are:

  • Telogen effluvium, which occurs when a greater proportion of hair transitions from the growth (anagen) phase to the shedding or resting (telogen) phase. This condition can result in the loss of up to 35% of scalp hairs, compared to the typical daily shedding of 50–150 hairs (about 10%). It may be triggered by physiological or psychological stressors such as trauma, illness, malnutrition, or childbirth.9
  • Female pattern hair loss, progressive hair loss also known as androgenetic alopecia. This disorder, in which hair gradually gets thinner at the top of the head,10 is increasingly common with age, affecting about 40% of women by age 50.11

Hormonal changes, such as the drop in estrogen and increase in androgens (particularly dihydrotestosterone DHT) around menopause, can contribute to female pattern hair loss.12

Elevated levels of DHT contribute to the progressive shrinkage of hair follicles, resulting in thinning hair, reduced follicular density, and eventual baldness.13

Female hair loss typically presents a different pattern than male-pattern baldness, characterized by diffuse thinning at the crown and a noticeable widening of the central part.14

Scientists have identified plant-derived extracts that, when taken orally, may help maintain healthy hair lifecycle and reduce hair loss.

Ceramides Halt Hair Loss

Ceramides are a type of lipid or fat. A hair strand’s outermost layer contains ceramides that help protect and strengthen hair.15

Preclinical research has found that ceramides may also promote cellular signaling to stimulate hair growth.16-18

Scientists have developed a gluten-free wheat extract rich in ceramides and digalactosyldiglycerides, another plant lipid that promotes the absorption of ceramides in the gut.19

In a clinical trial, 66 healthy women aged 24 to 64 with more than 15% of total hair in the telogen phase took 30 mg of an oral wheat ceramide extract or a placebo daily. The participants initially reported brittle, thinning hair and experienced mild to moderate hair loss.6

Hair characteristics were evaluated at 56 and 84 days using a phototrichogram. This is a noninvasive imaging technique that monitors hair growth and loss through periodic scalp imaging and analysis. The phototrichogram assesses hair growth phases.

This clinical trial also used hair pull tests to measure shedding, while additional assessments evaluated hair diameter, strength, growth, sebum levels, density, and volume.

Within just two months, the extract group exhibited significant signs of healthier hair. After three months, the treatment group showed significantly greater improvements than the placebo group, including:

  • 48% decrease in hair loss (per hair pull test) from baseline,
  • 12.5% greater increase in hair growth compared to placebo, and
  • 12% reduction in scalp oil from baseline among participants with oily hair.

Overall, up to 90% of women who took the ceramide extract reported that their hair was healthier, citing faster growth with fewer split ends. A subgroup analysis of postmenopausal women found that those who received the extract experienced similar improvements.

Fight Hormonal Hair Loss

Saw palmetto is a plant rich in beneficial compounds including fatty acids and beta-sitosterol.20,21 Preclinical research suggests saw palmetto oil may help combat hair loss, especially androgenetic alopecia, by:20,22-24

  • Reducing the body’s production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a hair loss promoter,
  • Blocking cellular uptake of DHT, and
  • Decreasing DHT binding to receptors.

Excess DHT increases hair loss by shortening the growth phase and lengthening the shedding phase of the hair lifecycle.8,20

Saw palmetto inhibited 5-alpha reductase—the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT—and it also exhibited anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects in laboratory studies. Scientists formulated a saw palmetto oil standardized to contain 2%–3% beta-sitosterol and 85% total fatty acids, which was tested in a clinical study.7

What You Need To Know

Good Hair Days Ahead

  • Hair loss affects roughly 50% of all women.
  • The top causes of female hair loss are telogen effluvium, shedding that is often triggered by a major stressor, and androgenetic alopecia, female pattern hair loss linked to hormonal imbalance.
  • In a clinical trial of women with telogen effluvium, a gluten-free wheat ceramide extract reduced hair loss by 48% and increased hair growth and health.
  • In another clinical trial, women with androgenetic alopecia who took standardized saw palmetto oil had a 34% decrease in hair shedding and an increase in hair thickness.
  • Combined, these oral plant-based extracts address the top causes of hair loss in women.

Saw Palmetto Stops Shedding

A double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial recruited 80 healthy men and women (ages 18–50) with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia. Participants were randomized into four arms and received daily treatments for 16 weeks:7

  • 100 mg oral standardized form of saw palmetto oil
  • Oral placebo

Participants were evaluated using hair comb and hair pull tests, self-assessment of perceived efficacy, and objective evaluation via global photographic assessment scores. Hair density, thickness, and the anagen/telogen ratio were measured through phototrichogram analysis.

After four months, those receiving saw palmetto, compared to placebo, exhibited:

  • 11.3% increase in hair density,
  • 34% decrease in hair shedding (per a hair comb test),
  • 16.6% decrease in hair loss (per a hair pull test), and
  • 18.9% reduction in blood levels of DHT.

Some improvements were observed as early as two months and became more pronounced over time. Both men and women experienced similar outcomes.

Combining saw palmetto and wheat ceramides may help stop many cases of female hair loss and boost hair growth.

Summary

Hair loss affects about half of women, whether due to a sudden uptick in shedding or progressive hair loss on the top of the head.

Standardized wheat ceramide extract and saw palmetto oil, when taken orally, have both been clinically shown to reduce hair loss and renew hair growth in women.

Significant improvements in hair growth commonly start within just two months of using the ingredients.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

Good Vs. Bad Ceramides

You may have heard that having high ceramide levels can be unhealthy.

That’s because the type of ceramides generated from a calorie-dense Western diet high in long-chain saturated fats are linked with inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.25,26

By contrast, plant-derived ceramides called phytoceramides, like those present in wheat extract, are rich in healthy unsaturated fats and are associated with better overall health, including healthy hair.27

References

  1. Gokce N, Basgoz N, Kenanoglu S, et al. An overview of the genetic aspects of hair loss and its connection with nutrition. J Prev Med Hyg. 2022 Jun;63(2 Suppl 3):E228-E38.
  2. Chan L, Cook DK. Female pattern hair loss. Aust J Gen Pract. 2018 Jul;47(7):459-64.
  3. Hwang HW, Ryou S, Jeong JH, et al. The Quality of Life and Psychosocial Impact on Female Pattern Hair Loss. Ann Dermatol. 2024 Feb;36(1):44-52.
  4. Davis DS, Callender VD. Review of quality of life studies in women with alopecia. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2018 Mar;4(1):18-22.
  5. Muller Ramos P, Melo DF, Radwanski H, et al. Female-pattern hair loss: therapeutic update. An Bras Dermatol. 2023 Jul-Aug;98(4):506-19.
  6. Dudonne S, Kern C, Garcia C. Efficacy of a wheat polar lipid complex in reducing hair loss and improving hair growth in healthy women: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2024 Apr;46(2):284-96.
  7. Sudeep HV, Rashmi S, Jestin TV, et al. Oral and topical administration of a standardized saw palmetto oil reduces hair fall and improves the hair growth in androgenetic alopecia subjects - a 16-week randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023;16:3251-66.
  8. Natarelli N, Gahoonia N, Sivamani RK. Integrative and Mechanistic Approach to the Hair Growth Cycle and Hair Loss. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 23;12(3).
  9. Available at: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/telogen-effluvium. Accessed May 8, 2025.
  10. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/treating-female-pattern-hair-loss. Accessed May 8, 2025.
  11. Famenini S, Slaught C, Duan L, et al. Demographics of women with female pattern hair loss and the effectiveness of spironolactone therapy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015 Oct;73(4):705-6.
  12. Gupta AK, Economopoulos V, Mann A, et al. Menopause and hair loss in women: Exploring the hormonal transition. Maturitas. 2025 May 2;198:108378.
  13. Owecka B, Tomaszewska A, Dobrzeniecki K, et al. The Hormonal Background of Hair Loss in Non-Scarring Alopecias. Biomedicines. 2024 Feb 24;12(3):513.
  14. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/androgenetic-alopecia/. Accessed May 8, 2025.
  15. Coderch L, Alonso C, García MT, et al. Hair Lipid Structure: Effect of Surfactants. Cosmetics. 2023;10(4):107.
  16. Peters F, Hofs W, Lee H, et al. Sphingolipid metabolism orchestrates establishment of the hair follicle stem cell compartment. J Cell Biol. 2025 Apr 7;224(4).
  17. Oh JH, Jeong KH, Kim JE, et al. Synthesized Ceramide Induces Growth of Dermal Papilla Cells with Potential Contribution to Hair Growth. Ann Dermatol. 2019 Apr;31(2):164-74.
  18. Park BM, Bak SS, Shin KO, et al. Promotion of hair growth by newly synthesized ceramide mimetic compound. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017 Sep 9;491(1):173-7.
  19. Bizot V, Cestone E, Michelotti A, et al. Improving Skin Hydration and Age-related Symptoms by Oral Administration of Wheat Glucosylceramides and Digalactosyl Diglycerides: A Human Clinical Study. Cosmetics. 2017;4(4):37.
  20. Evron E, Juhasz M, Babadjouni A, et al. Natural Hair Supplement: Friend or Foe? Saw Palmetto, a Systematic Review in Alopecia. Skin Appendage Disord. 2020 Nov;6(6):329-37.
  21. Penugonda K, Lindshield BL. Fatty acid and phytosterol content of commercial saw palmetto supplements. Nutrients. 2013 Sep 13;5(9):3617-33.
  22. Pais P, Villar A, Rull S. Determination of the potency of a novel saw palmetto supercritical CO2 extract (SPSE) for 5alpha-reductase isoform II inhibition using a cell-free in vitro test system. Res Rep Urol. 2016;8:41-9.
  23. Pais P. Potency of a novel saw palmetto ethanol extract, SPET-085, for inhibition of 5alpha-reductase II. Adv Ther. 2010 Aug;27(8):555-63.
  24. Goepel M, Hecker U, Krege S, et al. Saw palmetto extracts potently and noncompetitively inhibit human alpha1-adrenoceptors in vitro. Prostate. 1999 Feb 15;38(3):208-15.
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