Quick outline:
- My hair story and what DHT even is
- What I tried (real products, real results)
- What worked, what didn’t, and side notes
- My routine now and who should be careful
My hair story (and a tiny bit about DHT)
I’m Kayla, and I care way too much about my hair part. Two years ago, I saw more scalp in photos. My ponytail felt thin. My shower drain looked like a fuzz nest. It made me nervous.
DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is a hormone that can shrink hair follicles. That’s the simple gist. I wanted to see if “natural DHT blockers” could help me slow things down. Not magic. Just help.
If you’re hunting for a quick primer on clinically reviewed, plant-based DHT blockers, the resource library at Arena Naturals is a goldmine.
You know what? Some things did help. Some didn’t. And one thing smelled like a salad bar.
What I tried (with real brands)
I tested one new thing at a time for 6 to 8 weeks each. I kept notes like a nerd. I counted shed hairs after a normal wash (not perfect, but it kept me honest).
1) Saw Palmetto — Gaia Herbs Saw Palmetto (320 mg softgel)
- How I used it: 1 softgel a day with breakfast for 8 weeks.
- What I felt: Weeks 1–2, mild tummy upset if I forgot food. Fix was simple—eat first.
- Results: By week 6, my shed count on wash day dropped from around 150 hairs to about 100–110. That sounds silly, but it looked like less hair in the drain, and that felt huge.
- Side notes: My boobs felt a bit tender one week. It passed. I also noticed my skin was a touch less oily.
A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Drug Delivery & Therapeutics points out that saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and several other botanicals show measurable potential in treating androgenetic alopecia (jddtonline.info)—so my real-world drop in shed has some science behind it.
2) Pumpkin Seed Oil — NOW Foods Pumpkin Seed Oil (1000 mg softgels)
- How I used it: 2 softgels per day for 10 weeks.
- Results: Slower change. Around week 8, I saw baby hairs along my temples—soft and short, like new grass after rain. Shed stayed steady (about 100–120 hairs on wash day).
- Side notes: No tummy issues. It’s easy to stick with.
A study in the International Journal of Trichology found that participants supplementing with pumpkin seed extract had roughly a 30 % reduction in hair shedding over 12 weeks, reinforcing why this oil ended up on my keeper list (naturopathymd.com).
3) Rosemary Oil Scalp Massage — Handcraft Blends Rosemary Essential Oil
- How I used it: I mixed 3–4 drops in 1 teaspoon of jojoba or pumpkin seed oil. I massaged it into my scalp 3 nights a week. I left it on 45 minutes, then shampooed.
- Results: My scalp felt fresh. After about 6 weeks, my part looked a tiny bit less wide, mostly near the crown. Not huge, but real.
- Watch out: Don’t use it straight. It can sting. Ask me how I learned. Dilute, always.
For anyone in Central California who’d rather leave the head-massage magic to a professional, you can scan honest spa reviews at Rubmaps Ceres—the community ratings and detailed reports make it easy to find clean, reputable studios that actually know their way around a stress-relieving, hair-friendly scalp treatment.
4) Caffeine Shampoo — Alpecin C1
- How I used it: 4 days a week. I left it on for 2 minutes.
- Results: On wash days, my hair felt thicker at the roots. More grip. Not a DHT cure, but it made styling easier. I liked it for that.
- Side notes: It dried my ends a bit. I used a richer conditioner and it was fine.
For days when I wanted something sulfate-free and more moisturizing, I also tried out the best natural shampoo and conditioner—spoiler: my frizz thanked me.
5) Green Tea Rinse — Bigelow Green Tea bags
- How I used it: I brewed 2 bags in a mug, cooled it, and poured it on my scalp before conditioner, twice a week.
- Results: Nice feel. Smelled clean. But I didn’t see a real change in shed or regrowth.
- Honest take: It’s calming. It’s not a main event for hair, at least for me.
6) Nettle Root — Solaray Nettle Root (450 mg)
- How I used it: 1 capsule a day for 6 weeks.
- Results: Not much to report. Maybe a tiny drop in shed, but it was hard to tell. My stomach felt a little off a couple days.
- Side notes: Nettle leaf tea made me pee more. Root did not. Fun fact I did not need.
7) Spearmint Tea — Traditional Medicinals Organic Spearmint
- How I used it: 2 cups a day for 3 weeks. I wanted help with chin hair, too (joy).
- Results: Chin hair slowed a bit. Scalp hair didn’t change much. I did feel a little low energy on some days—might be me.
- Takeaway: I use it here and there, not daily.
What actually made a difference for me
If I had to stack rank the winners, it’s this:
- Saw palmetto (Gaia Herbs): Best for cutting shed. Real change by week 6.
- Pumpkin seed oil (NOW Foods): Slow but steady, plus new baby hairs.
- Rosemary oil (Handcraft Blends): Good support for the scalp and the look of fuller roots.
- Caffeine shampoo (Alpecin C1): Styling boost. Not a root cause fix, but I still use it.
The rest? Nice extras, but not game changers.
My 3-month snapshot (the numbers I wrote down)
- Start: 140–170 hairs lost on wash day; part looked wide in top photos.
- After 12 weeks on a stack (saw palmetto + pumpkin seed oil + rosemary oil massages + caffeine shampoo): 90–120 hairs on wash day; part looked a touch fuller, with short hairs around my temples and crown.
I know shed counts aren’t perfect science. But my mirror agreed, and my ponytail felt less sad.
Little things that helped too
- Protein: I added a scoop of whey to my morning smoothie. Hair is made of protein. Simple logic.
- Gentle care: I switched to a silk pillowcase and stopped ripping a brush through wet hair. Low drama, big help.
- Wash routine: I wash 4 times a week. On two of those, I do the rosemary oil massage before.
And yes, I take a basic multivitamin. I don’t stack biotin like wild. It makes my skin break out.
What I’d tell a friend
- Want “natural”? Try one thing at a time for 6–8 weeks. Take photos in the same light. You’ll see patterns you don’t feel day to day.
- Be kind to your scalp. Don’t pour straight essential oil on it. Dilute.
- If your shed is sudden or heavy, talk to a doctor. Iron, thyroid, stress—these matter.
- Thinking of covering grays without harsh chemicals? I lived through a full test drive of natural black hair dye so you don’t have to panic like I did.
Who should be careful
- If you’re pregnant, nursing, or trying to get pregnant—skip saw palmetto and most herbs unless your doctor says yes.
- If you take hormone meds, talk to your doctor first. Herbs can poke at hormones.
- If your scalp gets itchy or red, stop and reset. No hero moves.
My current routine (the one I stuck with)
- Morning: Saw palmetto (Gaia Herbs 320 mg) with breakfast.
- Night: Pumpkin seed oil (NOW Foods, 2 softgels).
- Three nights a week: Rosemary oil mix (3–4 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil), 45 minutes before a wash.
- Wash: Alpecin C1, 2 minutes on the scalp. Rich conditioner on the ends.
Is it perfect? No. But it’s simple, and it’s working enough that I feel like myself again. Some days I still see a few extra hairs and I sigh. Then I remember week 1. And I feel better. Feeling better about my hair also nudged me to dip