Did you know that pumpkin seed oil may be able to improve hair count and hair thickness in men with hair loss problems? This comes from the results of a 24-week research trial, which I’ll discuss in-depth below. Recent research also suggests it might be effective against female hair loss.
This article will answer the following questions:
- What is pumpkin seed oil, and what does it do?
- What does science have to say about it?
- Are there side effects?
- How do you use it?
- What’s the bottom line?
But first, let’s take a quick look at what causes pattern hair loss (Androgenetic Alopecia or AGA) in the first place.
An Introduction to Pattern Hair Loss
AGA is estimated to affect about 50 million men in the US (1). It generally begins with hair loss at the temples, continues on around the crown, and can eventually lead to total baldness.
AGA has a genetic predisposition (2). This means that the more relatives you have with it, the more likely you are to develop AGA yourself. The principal androgen believed to be associated with it is dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (3).
When DHT binds to androgen receptors on the hair follicles, it shortens their hair growth cycle and delays the growth of the new hairs (4). Over time, the follicles completely stop growing new hair.
Treatment Options
The pharmaceutical treatment options for AGA are minoxidil and finasteride.
Minoxidil, commercially known as Rogaine, is a topical treatment that stimulates hair follicles.
Finasteride, brand name Propecia, is a pill that works by binding to the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. This is the enzyme that would otherwise convert free testosterone to DHT (5). The result is that the levels of DHT in the body plummet. Propecia can halt hair loss for up to 80% of men, but it is relatively ineffective at regrowing many new hairs.
Both of these pharmaceutical options can be costly, and they also have potential adverse side effects.
An inexpensive, natural substance like pumpkin seed would certainly appeal to man men with AGA if it actually worked.
What Is Pumpkin Seed Oil?
Pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo) oil is obtained by expeller-pressing toasted, hulled pumpkin seeds. It is a rich source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals, and more (6).
Chemically, the oil consists mainly of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. These include myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. It also contains beta-sitosterol, the importance of which we will discuss later.
Aside from being a delicious edible plant, pumpkin is also known to have substantial anti-inflammatory and other medicinal properties (7, 8, 9). People use it to treat all sorts of conditions, from prostate problems to high cholesterol and more (10, 11, 12).
Health Benefits
There are many purported health benefits to pumpkin seed oil, and most are unrelated to hair loss. The following is a summary of the main ones:
Mineral Support
Pumpkins, like all plants that have a close relationship to the soil, are an excellent source of mineral nutrients. Pumpkin seeds, extracts, and oil are all good sources of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium (learn more about magnesium oil), manganese, and copper. They are also excellent sources of zinc and iron.
Antioxidant Support
Pumpkin seeds have a broad diversity of antioxidants. For example, they contain a wide variety of forms of Vitamin E, two of which have only recently been discovered (13).
They also contain mineral antioxidants, (much like evening primrose oil) phenolic antioxidants, and lignans. This diverse mixture of antioxidants imbues pumpkin seeds with antioxidant properties that are not widely found in other foods.
Anti-inflammatory
Fatty acids isolated from pumpkin seed oil have been used in medicine for their anti-inflammatory properties. We mentioned that the most important of these are linoleic acid, followed by oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid (14).
The people of Central America and India rub the oil extracted from the seeds of pumpkin on herpes sores, venereal sores, acne vulgaris, and stubborn leg ulcers that refuse to heal. Pumpkin leaves are also applied as a poultice on sprains and pulled ligaments.
Antimicrobial
Pumpkin seeds have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties as a result of their unique proteins (15).
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Pumpkin seed oil has been used to treat BPH successfully, based on its phytosterol, lignan, and zinc content. Interestingly, this is what finasteride was originally intended to treat (16, 17). We will return to the significance of this shortly.
Pumpkin Seed Oil & Hair Loss In Men
In 2014, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published the results of a clinical research study that investigated Pumpkin Seed Oil (PSO) as a treatment for AGA (18).
This was the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of its kind. The 24-week trial recruited 76 male subjects with mild to moderate AGA. Half took a daily supplement (which included PSO) in the form of a 400 mg capsule. The other half received a placebo capsule.
IMPORTANT! The supplement given to participants was Octa-Sabal Plus. This does contain pumpkin seed powder but also additional ingredients. These include Octacosanol (from vegetable powder), Gamma-linolenic acid (from evening primrose), and Lycopene (from tomato powder). It is not possible to say whether the PSO was solely responsible for the results, or if the other ingredients also played a role (which is quite likely).
The researchers used phototrichography to analyze hair changes, including hair counts and diameters. They did this at the start of the trial to establish a baseline, after 12 weeks of treatment, and again after 24 weeks of treatment.
You can see the results in the two graphs below. They show that the PSO treatment group had significant increases in hair count over the placebo group. The differences in hair thickness were negligible.
From these results, the researchers concluded that taking a PSO supplement for 24 weeks positively affects hair growth in patients with mild to moderate AGA. They believed this could be due to the possible effects of 5-reductase inhibition (which we discuss below).
Against Female Hair Loss
In 2021, researchers from Cairo University recruited 60 women with pattern hair loss (19). Though clinically different from men, women’s hair loss responds to many of the same treatments. The results of this research are therefore also of interest to men.
The researchers randomly assigned each woman to one of two treatment groups:
- topical pumpkin seed oil once daily
- minoxidil foam 5% once daily
Treatment lasted 3 months for both groups. The researchers looked at the following efficacy parameters:
- hair shaft diversity. One of the hallmarks of pattern hair loss is unequal hair shaft size. This is because, at any given time, hairs in the scalp will have miniaturized to various degrees. A healthy head of hair, on the other hand, has hair shafts of relatively equal diameter. This means that an effective hair loss treatment should decrease hair shaft diversity in balding women (and men).
- the number of vellus (immature) hairs. These are soft, baby-like, and cannot provide sufficient coverage. A feature of pattern hair loss is the gradual conversion of terminal to vellus hairs.
- the number of terminal (mature) hairs. Unlike vellus hairs, these terminal hairs can grow long, thick and dark. A successful hair loss treatment should increase their numbers.
After three months, both the pumpkin seed oil and minoxidil gave a statistically significant improvement in all three parameters. The hair shaft diversity went down in both groups, as did the mean number of vellus hairs. The number of terminal hairs, on the other hand, increased for both groups. On this last metric, the minoxidil-treated women had a clear advantage (approximately double the regrowth).
These results suggest that pumpkin seed oil is effective against female pattern hair loss, though perhaps not quite as much as minoxidil.
Pumpkin Seed Oil & DHT
Taken together, the evidence above suggests that PSO has some effect against pattern hair loss in both men and women.
Some researchers have speculated that this might be due, at least in part, to the oil’s anti-androgenic properties, and particularly its ability to inhibit the synthesis of DHT. Let’s look at the evidence for this.
Pumpkin Seed Oil Relieves Prostate Enlargement
Benign prostate enlargement (BHP) is an ailment that affects many men as they age (20). Though benign (non-cancerous) in nature, it has symptoms like increased frequency of urination and difficulty urinating that may lower quality of life. Interestingly, it is linked to DHT, and medications that relieve BHP also tend to be effective against hair loss. It is no coincidence that finasteride was first approved for the treatment of BHP and only subsequently for hair loss.
In 2009, a team of Korean researchers reported that pumpkin seed oil (and saw palmetto oil) was effective in relieving the symptoms of BHP in men (21). Other researchers have found that pumpkin seed oil can block prostate growth in rodents (22, 23). Taken together, these results strongly suggest pumpkin seed oil has some anti-DHT properties.
Pumpkin Seed Oil Inhibits DHT In Vitro
Other scientists have studied the direct effect of pumpkin seed oil and its active compounds in inhibiting the synthesis of DHT in vitro (in a lab). The results confirm that it is a potent inhibitor of DHT (24). Earlier research had found that beta-sitosterol, one of the main compounds of pumpkin seed oil, inhibits DHT on its own (25, 26).
It Increases Hair Growth Suppressed by Testosterone
In rodents, topical administration of testosterone inhibits hair growth. A 2019 study from Iran found that topical pumpkin seed oil can reverse this testosterone-induced hair growth retardation (27). Again, this is suggestive of a potent anti-androgenic effect.
Are There Side Effects?
According to the University of Michigan Health System, pumpkin seed oil has no reported side effects.
However, it has been speculated that it might have a diuretic effect (28). For those of you taking lithium, taking a pumpkin seed oil-containing supplement might decrease your body’s ability to metabolize the lithium. This could increase its retention in the body and result in serious side effects.
It is important to note that any natural remedy can cause an allergic reaction in some people, and this holds true for pumpkin and its many derivatives (i.e. oils, extract, etc.) as well.
Signs of an allergic reaction may include breathing problems, tightness in the chest or throat, chest pain, hives or rash, and itchy or swollen skin. You should treat any of these reactions as a potential medical emergency.
Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take any supplement without consulting their doctor.
How Do You Use Pumpkin Seed Oil On Your Hair?
There are two ways to incorporate pumpkin seed oil into your hair care routine: topically and orally.
Topical Pumpkin Seed Oil
For maintaining a healthy scalp, pumpkin seed oil should be massaged into the scalp with some type of carrier oil such as olive oil and then left in overnight. You might want to warm it gently before application, or you can use it at room temperature.
You should repeat this at least twice a week for a minimum of two months before expecting to see results.
Supplementation
For treatment of AGA, pumpkin seed oil is ingested orally as a supplement. Pumpkin Seed oil (Cucurbita pepo) supplements are widely available online, and at drug stores, grocery stores, and nutrition specialty stores. Manufacturers sell them in the form of capsules or soft gel caps. Note these supplements are not regulated by the FDA. As a result, there can be large differences in quality and potency between various brands. Make sure to read reviews from other customers first, and always source your supplements from a reputable manufacturer.
Dosages range from 500 to 1000 mg. Prices typically range from 15 cents to 35 cents per unit, depending on the dosage, brand, and quantity purchased.
Individuals deciding which supplement to buy should look for those containing pure, unrefined, organic pumpkin seed oil that has been expeller-pressed. A recommended dosage for the particular treatment of AGA has not been established, but 500mg seems like a reasonable starting point.
Combining With Other Treatments
While you can choose to apply PSO to the scalp or take it as a daily supplement, there are treatments you can combine it with to boost its effectiveness.
Microneedling
There are plenty of oils you can combine with microneedling to improve results, but pumpkin seed oil is one of the better options.
Microneedling is a procedure that involves the use of tiny needles (29). They create micro-wounds that, when they heal, help to promote collagen production and the proliferation of skin cells (30).
You can use a dermaroller or a dermastamp, though a dermastamp is the more popular recommendation.
Just apply the dermastamp to the areas of hair loss, and press down until the needles penetrate the scalp. Do this horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.
Once weekly microneedling sessions are sufficient to see results in most cases. On the days that you microneedle you can skip the pumpkin seed oil.
Scalp Massage and Exercises
The dermaroller and dermastamp are great tools to use to increase blood circulation to the scalp. But you can also do so with your hands.
In 2016, a study suggested that 24 weeks of standardized scalp massage can increase hair thickness (31). This is the case not only with balding men but also for those with healthy hair. The results appear to be dose-dependent; the more you massage, the better results you can expect (32).
How to Perform Scalp Massages
Using just your fingertips (and maybe some PSO), place your thumbs, index, and middle fingers on either side of your head (just above the ears). Place varying levels of pressure throughout the massage, begin to use circular motions.
You will start at the sides and then move up to the crown, to the hairline and temples, and finally to the base of the scalp.
You can also trace back at any point during the massage, and even focus more exclusively on thinning areas.
This should take 10 – 15 minutes per day.
How to Perform Scalp Exercises
To further increase blood circulation, you can use your facial muscles to stretch and gently pull the skin of the scalp. Here is a quick rundown of how:
- Lift your eyebrows as high as possible, and hold for 2 minutes. Return to resting position.
- Furrow your eyebrows as deep as possible, and hold for 2 minutes. Return to resting position.
- Lift your eyebrows as high as possible, and hold for 2 minutes. Then furrow your eyebrows as deep as possible, and hold for 2 minutes. Finally, return to the resting position.
You can also use your fingertips, and gently stretch the skin by pulling and pushing your fingers together.
What’s the Bottom Line?
In recent years, pumpkin seed oil (PSO) has emerged as a superfood packed with protein, micronutrients, and healthy fats. Alongside this increased public interest in PSO, there is promising scientific evidence to support its use as a treatment for mild to moderate AGA.
Over the years, researchers have compiled evidence that PSO is involved in the inhibition of DHT and can be effective against both male and female hair loss.
While you can always apply it topically, it will generally be far easier and more practical to supplement. Since PSO products are not regulated by the FDA, be sure to do your due diligence when selecting a brand. Allow a minimum of 3 months’ use before deciding if PSO is right for you.
Information contained on this website has not been evaluated by any medical body such as the Food & Drug Administration. All information is for educational purposes only. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness. You must consult a medical professional before acting on any content on this website.
This is very interesting research, and it’s exciting to see such a substantial increase in hair count. But why did the placebo hair count also go up?
Thank you Wendy, yes it’s very interesting. This is great point, there is clearly an increase in hair count for the placebo group. I can only imagine this is the power of the mind, the researchers didn’t seem to be able to provide a valuable explanation. I don’t think it invalidates the results though, if you’re worried about hair loss then taking pumpkin seed oil as a daily supplement is probably well worth it. Thanks, Will
I’ve been eating 250 g raw pumpkin seed every day for the last 4 months and topically using it on scalp for the same period. I’m also taking a hair growth supplement, omega 3 and lot of almond along with green tea everyday. But the result is zero. I consulted 2 dermatologists and got blood tested. Everything was found normal…….Nobody can save hair……
Pumpkin seed oil isn’t a cure. Hair loss is a multifactorial problem and that’s why I created the Hair Equilibrium Framework. When you remove all the factors causing hair loss and boost and optimise all the factors that cause hair growth, that’s when you start to see amazing results. No one thing will work alone.
It might be your Omega 3 that is causing/hindering your hair from growing back. Google “Omega 3 hair loss”, “Flaxseed hair loss”, “fish oil hair loss“. I was shocked at what came up!
Did it have to do with inpurities and toxins? Bad fish oil is full of toxins, as our fish. But purified (distilled) and fish good fish oil from clean waters, like Nordic Naturals, or algae oils seem to be very beneficial from what I read. Refer to international fish oil standards certification and reports to check fish oils out. The Western diet has about a 17:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio – it’s 2:1 or 1:1 in the blue zones.
Great article, I’ve been taking PSO for around 4 months, and obviously its hard to isolate the factors but I believe it is having a GOOD effect on my thin hair. Besides, the oil I use it tasty and very healthy, so why not add it to your diet if you’re worried about your hair?
Would you recommend taking as a capsule or having the oil from a bottle?
I prefer the oil from a bottle because it seems more natural, the unrefined, cold pressed and crude PSO from Ol’Vita (pictured) is amazing stuff. The capsules may be more convenient, since I think you have to keep the Ol’Vita bottle refrigerated after you open it. The key is to take a high quality supplement consistently.
Propecia made all of my hair grow back. The side effects were not worth it though, I lost all interest in women. No libido anymore but a full head of hair
Hi Jack, yes some of the side-effects of Propecia can be quite scary and definitely not worth it in my opinion. I would suggest that you slowly transition into more natural methods that I talk about here on the blog and in detail in my program Hair Equilibrium. I have personally found them to be just as effective as Propecia but instead of horrible side effects, the natural method gives amazing benefits such as glowing health, energy and wonderfully healthy hair. My philosophy is that hair loss is unnatural, and is a symptom of an imbalance in your body. Trying to fix the problem with a pharmaceutical can only have bigger, more disastrous long term consequences. Pumpkin seed oil is a good place to start swapping drugs for plant based alternatives.
Hi there. Is your programme suitable for women? I’ve been experiencing progress hair thinning since my baby (20 months now) and not going back on dianette the, contraceptive pill, which I was on for 15 years and kept my hair and skin amazing. Since trying to go natural, my hair and skin is terrible. I’ve lost so much volume along the temples and bits won’t grow beyond a few inches. It’s gone from thick, strong and long to fine, wispy and broken. 🙁
Yes the Equilibrium program has helped women, however, some of the modules won’t apply.
hi there william , can i consume pumpkin seeds instead of the pumpkin seed oil . if yes let me know about the daily dosage of it
Yes you can, I would recommend a handful per day. However, since there isn’t too much oil in the pumpkin seed you will overall consume a smaller amount. But a small amount is better than nothing.
I have used both finastiride and dutastiride for hair loss, i have gained 20 pounds both times, lost libidio dht is important at some point in a man body for sure. Also minoxidil made my face swell, not worth it at all. I am using PSO in capsule form 1000mg per day. Lets see how things go.
Hi Frank, yes the side effects from those drugs can be devastating. Just remember when taking PSO that this is just the start. Don’t expect it to fix the problem of hair loss by itself. There is much more you can do as well.
What i notice now after 3 weeks of usage is that pumpkin seed oil combined with DIM and saw palmetto acts like a mild diuretic, this is a very positive effect compared to dutastiride and the water retention effect and weight gain. I am very happy ok admit i have been paying more attention to my diet, my training as always been on par 5-6 times per week in the gym, but i lost a bit of unwanted weight and my body is getting the beach body look, i love it, i hold on to less water. I was afraid that saw palmetto combined with pumpkin seed oil caps and green tea would have the same effect as dutastiride and i would gain all that unwanted weight and get bloated once again. 1 week after first starting dutastiride and minoxidil at 41 i asked my mother and she told me yes you look bloated tough it was normal aging sagging skin etc…… until i read all the side effects cause by this drug, also soft and no fun erection, low libido and more…… feeling bloated, dutastiride is for real but the side effects are even worst then finastiride since it blocks both forms of DHT. Minoxidiol will get the scalp dry and flacky something i have not been getting since using peppermint, magnesium melantonin and jojoba oil, my hair looks amazing like i put some gel in it but with some serious growth power.
Hey Will,
I bumped into your webpage today and I must say I really love your comitmment to improving health (let’s call it fitness) and countering hair loss. I do not know where this is going to take me, but I will follow some of your advice. I’ve been losing my hair since I was 17, and I’ve had dandruff since I was 10, and I’ve started suffering from a chronic inflammation of my facial skin and my scalp (the misterious auto(?)-immune/fungal desase called seborrhea) during puberty. During this time my scalp also got really oily for which even my hairdresser knew it resulted from a hormone imablance… That being said, I agree with you these things coincide in too many people so there has got to be a link and a possible cure…
I just wanted to draw your attention to the first graph depicting the increase in the hair count. With those standard deviations, these graph cannot be statistically significant (I’m a life science researcher).
Keep up the good work! 🙂
Hi Will,
Very interesting and informative article! I’d like to ask you what pumpkin seed oil supplement would you say is the most potent & pure? I’ve run into some forums with most folks saying that currently the brand: Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Pumpkin Seed Oil in 1,000 mg dosage is top of the line. Please chime in and enlighten us! 🙂
I like the Ol’Vita brand. Look for cold-pressed and unrefined products.
Hi Will,
I don’t know why anybody wants to go looking for these rare and expensive oils for your hair when you have the long tested and proven for generations – Pure Virgin Coconut Oil.
This is used by millions of people in the east, especially India in their daily hair grooming and as a conditioner.
Almost all commercial hair conditioners are based on pure coconut oil. It prevents dandruff, a major cause of hair loss and helps in hair growth.
I have been using it for decades and I still have a good crop of hair on my head.
Hi Shafeek,
Fair point, some oils can be expensive and hard to find – pumpkin seed is one of those. But in this case, PSO can be taken orally and is proven to help regrow hair, whereas the same results don’t apply with coconut oil. However, I still highly recommend coconut oil for topical and oral usage and appreciate your comment about finding it useful keeping your own hair.
Hi Will,
I stumbled upon your site after researching products for hair growth. I’ve been thinning for a few years now. Thank God no bald spots though!! I’m struggling with trying to obtain thickness and shedding. When I notice strands of hair coming out, I notice a white bulb like on the end (I was told that was a good thing)?
I’ve seen doctors and tried various hair products. None which seems to be making a difference. I’ve noticed my scalp gets extremely dryand flakey, and itchy that I wash it weekly. I read your article about magnesium oil and I’m interested in trying it. My question is have you heard anything about cayenne pepper for hair growth? Anything you can recommend for a scaley itchy scalp? Thanks
Hi Erica, here are a few article that you might find useful:
https://www.hairguard.com/hair-follicle-white-bulb/
https://www.hairguard.com/cayenne-pepper-for-hair-growth/
https://www.hairguard.com/itchy-scalp/
What are you washing your hair with? I would recommend you only use apple cider vinegar once per week, and avoid any kind of chemical shampoos.
Will
I want to get the Pumpkin oil i have lost my hair over three years now
Don’t rely on PSO. Alone it will make almost no difference. You need to take a holistic approach and tackle the problem from many different angles. There is no ‘magic bullet’ Remember, PSO is believed to work by blocking DHT, and although this can help your hair, it’s more important to stop your hair follicles from being sensitive to DHT in the first place. That’s a whole different topic though.
So how would one stop the hair follicles from being sensitive to DHT ??
Reduce inflammation from within the body. This basically comes down to diet and lifestyle changes. But inflammation basically makes them sensitive.
Hi Will,
Thank you for providing such great information about fighting hair loss. You mentioned several times, that we should also focus on addressing DHT sensitivity, in addition to DHT blocking. May I know what are some ways we can reduce our DHT sensitivity? Thank you!
Jason
Is eating pumpkin seeds just as good as consuming the oil?
It’s probably better, because it’s a more natural form. However since the oil is a more concentrated form, it would be hard to eat enough pumpkin seeds everyday. But if you don’t mind chewing through a couple of handfuls then that would be a good option.
Pepitas (which are dehusked pumpkin seeds) are about 20% oil, so you would need to consume only 5 grams of pepitas to get your 1000mg dose of PSO. That’s about 25 seeds per day, which is less than half a teaspoon of pepitas (a bit more for pumpkin seeds with their husks still on).
Much much cheaper than capsules of oil etc, which seems like unnecessary processing.
Make sure you eat the raw ones, as cooking will degrade the product.
Oops, 2 teaspoons!
Thanks for the comment Myk, that’s very useful for other people who are deciding between the oil or the seeds.
You said we should use a carrier like olive oil. Would would Castor oil work as well ?
Yes you could use castor oil.
How long shall we take pso tablet for healthy hair? Is there any limit to use in our life time?
It’s up to you. However please be aware that you are blocking DHT so there is the possibility of side-effects. You will only get the benefits for as long as you keep taking it.
I believe this supplement will be useful.
I just imported the a bottle of pure pumpkin seed oil from Austria. its horribly expensive but let see if it works. Also I suggest to stop all the sexual activity for one year along with applying PSO to see great results. And abstain from any kind of masturbation.
Hi Schmidt, yes it is expensive. Remember to keep it in the fridge. Please let us know how it goes. I’d also recommend doing a few other things to see the best results. Consider scalp massages and exercises too.
Hello will
Indian gooseberry is also solid for hair growth. But it’s hard to get it in the foreign country. I have been taking saw palmetto with fish oil, lycopene extract in placebo plus PSO and do rosemary oil and coconut oil massage twice in the week. And I will let you know in the six months. I might go for PRP treatment.
Thanx Will for ur support and knowledge!
Pat in SF
I love your research and info! Thank you so much for all you do!
I do want to add something which is probably a bit contoversial O_O…
Concerning putting oils on your scalp: beware. I did this thinking it would help my condition (random, all of a sudden, Seborreic Dermatitis at age 36 for the first time ever and female hairloss, but all over, like I don’t have bald spots per se, but massive hair thinning, though mostly on the sides above my ears).
So, turns out, malassezia (a fungus that lives naturally on your skin and can get out of hand and overgrow) feeds off of oils, fatty acids and esters in hair products, and also feeds off your sebum.
It causes Pityrosforum Folliculitis (clogging of follicules with sebum), which in turn causes SD, and also feeds itself, the malassezia.
I tried putting anti-fungal oils on my scalp, along with antifungal essential oils and it just got worse! Maaaassssssive hairloss that week, irritating and inflamed itchy scalp, and over all overwhelm.
I had a scalp biopsy after that and turned out to be Malassezia overgrowth… I was feeding the fire putting oils on my head!!!
The theory is that oils and esters with fatty acids that have a carbon chain length between C11-C24 are bad since they feed malassezia. That leaves only 2 types of oils that can be used, one of which is MCT oil (the REAL one that has C8-C10 and no additives).
I have one called Brain Octane which is supposed to be pure C8, and tried that on my head as base for a home-made growth salve after a 3 week course of antifungals which helped A LOT to stop itching and to lessen hairloss, but guess what?? Hours later i had rinsed it off, i started feeling the itch again… and 3 days later, it was getting worse and worse again!
Took an extra week of oral antifungals and back to normal. But I can’t keep doing that or I’ll ruin my liver!
So either the Brain Octane is lying and it’s not pure C8, or the malassezia on my scalp, in my very humid tropical rainforest, mold incubator country in Central America, has mutated and now feeds off of lower carbon chain fatty acids…
Sigh…
Any suggestions on a topical homemade lotion without fatty acids, esters and oils?
Can witch hazel and or magnesium oil work as a base carrier for ecklonia caca powder? Supposedly they don’t feed Malassezia, but i’m nervous to try it out… trying to keep the few hairs i have left on my head…
Also, for us people who have hair covering our spreadout hairloss areas (with abt soecific bald spots), how do you recomend we derma-roll?
A year ago, I did try scalp therapies where plasma and vitamins where injected into my scalp and the pain for me was unbearable! I had severe scalp inflamation and couldn’t tolerate it.
Thanks in advance!
Hello Erika, thanks for the long comment, that’s quite interesting.
Regarding diffuse hair loss, yes I still recommend microneedling, although perhaps using a stamp rather than a roller would be better.
Can I use pumpkin seeds instead of PSO, I could not find PSO at my place?
The seeds would be a very good option to add to your diet, so yes, I would certainly recommend them whether you can, or cannot get the oil. They obviously will contain the oil but at a much lower concentration.
Hey will, I’ve been taking pumpkin seed for nearly a year and it’s definitely affected my sex drix (I’ve experimented on and off for some time to verify this). Perhaps this indicates it does have a finisteride effect. Is there any alternative to pumpkin seed oil you would recommend trying? I’m following the rest of the equallibrium program. So using the things you recommend topically. But this is a potentially a key ingredient? Thanks!
Hi Cam, I don’t think it is a key ingredient, however it does certainly seem to have some DHT blocking power, hence why it might be affecting your sex drive. If you feel uncomfortable with DHT blockers then it might be worthwhile focusing on other areas such as scalp massages more. For some of people sex drive might be more important than hair (although hopefully not a choice we have to make!)
Cam
I dont think so pumpkinseed affects on sex drive. I have been taking it regularly since 10 months and i’m fine. But i have seen good result for my hair yet though.
Hello,
since 3 weeks I am eating only vegetables and fruits, and before 2 weeks got first PRP treatment, and next day saw alot of baby hair in my hair line, unel now they are still 1 mm and very thin! is there a way to make them dicker? of coure this will need nearly 6 Month I guess with good meal but how?`
regards
Hi Kay,
A great first step is to read through Will’s Scalp Secrets ebook: https://www.hairguard.com/scalp-secrets/
– Steph
Hi Will,
I have started to use the unrefined, cold pressed PSO from Ol’Vita that I found on Amazon, from one month now, so I can’t really tell of any result, but I am a bit concern about the daily dose to take.
Do you know exactly how many teaspoon of PSO should be taken daily in order to avoid any side effects? Thanks
Max
Hi Max,
This is a bit difficult to answer.
You’ll notice in the study that the men who received PSO did so in a capsule that also contained other ingredients. The total dosage was 400mg, but it’s hard to say just how much of it was PSO.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any other studies which discuss dosage and side effects.
We do know that pumpkin seed oil can be consumed safely, so the question remains “how much?”.
I’d recommend you start with just 1 TBSP twice per day. You should continue on this for 4 weeks or so, and evaluate from there.
Of course, if you notice any allergic reactions you should stop immediately.
Regards,
Steph
How may seeds per day my friend
I started taking 1 tablespoon of extra virgin pumpkin seed oil along with 3 tablespoons no salt added Huntz tomatoe sauce for the lycopene. Do you feel this isa helpful combination in these ratios. Thanks.
does it help with women hair loss , also is using a DHT blocker would help women too to reduce hair loss , especially for those who have PCOS ,does it do anything with dht levels and its effect on hair loss ??
Hi Yosra
The truth is that pumpkin seed oil isn’t a definitively solid choice for hair regrowth.
I’d recommend you check out this post written by Will here: https://www.hairguard.com/how-to-regrow-your-hair-naturally/
Regards,
Steph