Saw palmetto for women's hair: what the research shows

Short answer: Saw palmetto is a palm-berry extract researched for its relationship to the enzyme that makes DHT, a hormone tied to pattern thinning. Men using topical saw palmetto had higher hair counts at 12 and 24 weeks. On your scalp, it supports the look of thicker, fuller hair, and Crowned by Her Part pairs it with five peptides and rosemary in one daily leave-on serum.

Saw palmetto shows up in many hair products for women in menopause. This is why, and what the research covers.

What is saw palmetto?

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm native to the southeastern US. Its berry extract has decades of use in men's health and is now a staple in hair care.

Why saw palmetto and hair go together

DHT is a hormone made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. Cleveland Clinic explains that hormone levels drop after menopause and links DHT to hair follicles shrinking. Saw palmetto is researched for its relationship to that enzyme pathway.

Dr. Kristen Lo Sicco of NYU Langone told the American Academy of Dermatology in 2025 that menopause brings progressive thinning at the temples and top of the scalp, seen as a widened part. That's the pattern saw palmetto formulas are built for.

What the studies show

Topical saw palmetto

Wessagowit and colleagues (Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2016) gave 50 men with pattern thinning topical saw palmetto products for 24 weeks. Average and terminal hair counts rose at 12 weeks and rose again by 24.

Oral saw palmetto versus finasteride

Rossi and colleagues (2012) followed men for two years on oral saw palmetto or finasteride. Saw palmetto delivered improvement, especially at the crown, while finasteride, a prescription drug, went further. Saw palmetto is the botanical choice.

A placebo-controlled pilot

Men on an oral botanical formula including saw palmetto were rated as improved more often than men on placebo (Prager et al., 2002).

Saw palmetto for women

Women in menopause go through hormone shifts where DHT has more influence, which is why saw palmetto sits in so many women's formulas, from Nutrafol to scalp serums. On the scalp, it supports the look of thicker, fuller hair right where you want it.

Why topical

A leave-on serum keeps saw palmetto on your scalp, where your hair grows, instead of sending it through your whole body. If you're pregnant, on hormone therapy or on blood thinners, check with your doctor before taking saw palmetto by mouth.

How to use saw palmetto on your scalp

Crowned by Her Part gives you fuller, thicker-looking hair, with saw palmetto extract as one of its key botanicals.

Crowned by Her Part is made with five peptides (analogs of aFGF, bFGF, IGF-1 and VEGF, plus a CCL2-family conditioning peptide), arginine, saw palmetto, Scutellaria root, rosemary, eucalyptus, soybean germ and wheat germ extracts, and vitamin E.

1. Part your hair where it usually falls.
2. Apply a few drops along the line and thin spots.
3. Massage with your fingertips in slow circles until the serum disappears.
4. Style as usual.
5. Repeat every morning.

How saw palmetto works with the rest of Crowned

In Crowned, saw palmetto works next to five peptides studied in follicle biology, rosemary with its own trial, Scutellaria root (its baicalin has been studied on dermal papilla cells), and eucalyptus studied for gloss and bounce. Rosemary oil performed on par with 2% minoxidil for hair counts at six months in 100 men (Panahi et al., Skinmed, 2015). FGF-1 and FGF-2 brought on the hair growth phase earlier in mouse studies (Lin et al., 2015). One daily step, several researched ingredients.

What you'll notice with Crowned, and when

Hair works on a slow cycle: each strand grows for years, rests for two to three months, then makes way for the next (Paus and Cotsarelis, New England Journal of Medicine, 1999). Crowned is built for that cycle, so the changes stack up in a clear order.

• From the first days: a light serum that sinks into your scalp, no residue, and a Fingertip Trick you'll actually look forward to.
• In the first weeks: hair that feels softer, with more gloss and bounce. Eucalyptus extract in a scalp lotion improved measured gloss and bounce of hair with ongoing use (Mamada et al., Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008).
• Over the first two months: more lift at the root and hair that looks thicker where it grows from.
• Months three to six: fuller-looking coverage where you used to see scalp, a ponytail with weight in it, and photos that look like you again. That's the window the ingredient studies measured: topical saw palmetto at 12 and 24 weeks, rosemary oil at six months.

Take a photo of the top of your head on day one and every two weeks after. Daily use is what builds the result, and the photos show it.

What to look for on a label

• "Serenoa repens" is saw palmetto's ingredient name.
• Paired with other researched ingredients, since botanicals work as a team.
• Leave-on, so it stays on your scalp.

Her Part reviews are easy to find. Skip Trustpilot and go right to our serum page. Real women show you how Crowned gave them fuller, thicker-looking hair.

Frequently asked questions

Does saw palmetto help women's hair?

Saw palmetto supports the look of thicker, fuller hair. In men, topical use raised hair counts at 12 and 24 weeks, and Crowned brings it to your scalp every day.

Is saw palmetto a DHT blocker?

It's a botanical researched for its relationship to the DHT pathway, not a prescription DHT blocker.

How long does saw palmetto take?

The topical study measured gains at 12 and 24 weeks. Use it daily through that window.

What's the easiest way to use saw palmetto?

Crowned by Her Part, a leave-on peptide scalp serum for fuller, thicker-looking hair with saw palmetto, rosemary and five peptides.

Is saw palmetto enough on its own?

It's strongest as part of a team. Crowned pairs it with peptides, rosemary and other botanicals for fuller, thicker-looking hair.

Your next step

Saw palmetto belongs on your scalp, every day, next to ingredients that pull their weight. Crowned by Her Part is the leave-on peptide serum for fuller, thicker-looking hair, with the Fingertip Trick.

Related: Rosemary oil vs minoxidil | Minoxidil alternatives for women

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Cosmetic product. Supports the appearance of hair and scalp. Ingredient studies are not a clinical trial of Crowned by Her Part. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

Sources

• Wessagowit V et al. Australas J Dermatol. 2016;57(3):e76-e82. PMID 26010505
• Rossi A et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2012;25(4):1167-1173. PMID 23298508
• Prager N et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2002;8(2):143-152. PMID 12006122
• Cleveland Clinic, "Female Pattern Baldness"
• American Academy of Dermatology, Dermatology World, "Managing menopause," Dec 2025
• Panahi Y et al. 2015 PMID 25842469; Lin WH et al. 2015 PMID 25685806
• Paus R, Cotsarelis G. 1999 PMID 10441606; Mamada A et al. 2008 PMID 19156331