Pumpkin Seed Oil and Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss: What the Small Trials Show, and How They Stack Up Against Finasteride
Both are sold as natural DHT blockers for thinning hair. One 76-man trial of a multi-ingredient pumpkin seed oil capsule looked positive, saw palmetto lost to finasteride in an open-label comparison, and neither has the large trials behind the approved options.
By Kymata Health Editorial Published Last checked
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Key takeaways
From 8 sources- Pumpkin seed oil rests mainly on one Korean trial: 76 men took 400 mg a day of a branded capsule or placebo for 24 weeks, and hair counts rose 40% versus 10%1. The maker lists other plant ingredients in that product, so the result cannot be credited to the oil alone8.
- Hair thickness did not differ from placebo in that trial, and 12 of the 76 men dropped out1.
- In an open-label 2-year comparison, 38% of men on 320 mg saw palmetto had more hair growth versus 68% on finasteride 1 mg2.
- A systematic review found positive but low-quality data for saw palmetto products and called for larger trials of the herb on its own3.
- A 2025 network meta-analysis confirmed finasteride, dutasteride and minoxidil; it included no oral pumpkin seed oil or oral saw palmetto trials4.
What this article covers
2 evidence profilesThe evidence, graded
Pulled from the trial tables in our evidence profiles. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
Graded findings
2 rows- CGrade CHair count in male pattern hair lossImproved Mean hair count rose 40% with pumpkin seed oil vs 10% with placebo; self-rated improvement and satisfaction were higher. Adverse effects did not differ.Pumpkin seed oil · RCT · n=76 · 2014 · PMID 24864154
- ∅No effectUrinary symptoms from benign prostatic enlargementNo effect Little to no difference vs placebo in IPSS symptom scores at 3–6 months (MD −0.90 points on a 0–35 scale, high certainty) and at 12–17 months (MD 0.07), and in quality of life. Adverse events similar to placebo.Saw palmetto · Systematic review · n=4,656 · 2023 · PMID 37345871
Why these two keep showing up in hair-loss stacks
Pattern hair loss is linked to DHT, which the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme makes from testosterone; finasteride and dutasteride block that enzyme14. Animal studies suggest pumpkin seed oil may inhibit it too, the Korean trial authors note, and saw palmetto is thought to act on the same enzyme14. That shared story, plus prostate use, is why both get marketed as natural DHT blockers. Lab and animal findings are not proof that a capsule changes your scalp.
Pumpkin seed oil: one trial, a real but limited signal
In the 2014 trial, 76 men (average age about 46) with mild to moderate male pattern hair loss took 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil as a branded capsule product, Octa Sabal Plus, or placebo daily for 24 weeks1. The paper reports only the oil dose, but the maker lists other ingredients in the product, including evening primrose, red clover, corn silk, tomato and mixed vegetable powders and octacosanol8. Any effect therefore belongs to the product, not to pumpkin seed oil on its own. Blinded photo ratings favoured the capsules, and self-rated improvement and satisfaction were higher at 24 weeks but not at 121.
On scalp photography, hair counts rose 40% from baseline with the capsules and 10% with placebo1. Hair thickness did not differ between groups, 5 men on the capsules and 7 on placebo dropped out, and side effects were similar1. It is a single, small trial from one country of a multi-ingredient product, which is why our pumpkin seed oil page grades it C.
For women, the only trial we found used pumpkin seed oil applied to the scalp, not capsules: 60 women with female pattern hair loss used it or 5% minoxidil foam for 3 months, and both groups improved on dermoscopy measures5. There was no placebo group, so it cannot show the oil itself caused the change5.
Saw palmetto: better known for a prostate null result
The head-to-head most often quoted is an Italian open-label study of 100 men with mild to moderate hair loss2. Half took 320 mg of saw palmetto daily and half took finasteride 1 mg for 24 months2. Hair growth improved in 38% on saw palmetto and 68% on finasteride2. With no placebo and no blinding, even the 38% is hard to interpret.
A 2020 systematic review of 5 randomized trials and 2 cohort studies of oral and topical products containing 100 to 320 mg of saw palmetto reported positive effects, but said robust high-quality data are lacking and called for large trials of saw palmetto’s own contribution3.
Saw palmetto’s biggest trials were in prostate symptoms, not hair: a 2023 Cochrane review of 27 trials found little to no difference from placebo for urinary symptoms6. A safety review of 40 studies found side effects mild and similar to placebo, most often stomach upset, headache and reduced libido7.
How they compare with the approved options
A 2025 network meta-analysis of 24 trials ranked treatments for male pattern hair loss by change in hair density at 24 weeks4. It confirmed oral dutasteride, oral and topical minoxidil, and oral and topical finasteride as effective4. Oral pumpkin seed oil and oral saw palmetto were not among the comparisons; topical saw palmetto was, and the authors left out the topical pumpkin seed oil trial because it did not measure hair density at 24 weeks4.
So the honest summary is that these botanicals have a small, early evidence base, while the drugs have far larger ones. For the prescription side, see our hair-loss treatment comparison and the women’s hair loss hub. For a drug-free device, see laser caps and red light hats compared.
Before you add them
A few practical points from the trial and safety data:
- Give any hair product time: the pumpkin seed oil trial saw no difference in self-ratings at 12 weeks, only at 241.
- Multi-ingredient “hair” formulas make it hard to know what, if anything, is working, and that includes the product in the pumpkin seed oil trial8; the saw palmetto review asked for trials of the herb on its own3.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: our saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil pages found no safety data for either.
- Sudden shedding, patchy loss or an itchy, sore scalp can have other causes and are worth a clinician’s look; see hair loss supplements for women.
Quick answers
Common questions
4 answersHow much pumpkin seed oil was used in the hair study?
Is saw palmetto as good as finasteride?
In the only head-to-head we found, 38% improved on saw palmetto versus 68% on finasteride, in an open-label study without placebo2.
Can women take saw palmetto for hair loss?
Most data are in men, and the 2020 review called for larger trials of saw palmetto alone; our page found no pregnancy safety data3.
Do these supplements lower DHT?
The pumpkin seed oil trial did not measure DHT, so it could not confirm how the oil worked1.
Keep reading
Full evidence profiles
Every graded study, studied doses, interactions and safety- BotanicalPumpkin seed oilPumpkin seed oil is pressed from Cucurbita seeds and sold in capsules for hair thinning and urinary symptoms.CGrade C
- BotanicalSaw palmettoSaw palmetto is a fatty extract of the berries of a small Florida palm, sold mainly for men's urinary symptoms and hair thinning.CGrade C
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Where to buy Pumpkin seed oil
Products from brands we partner with that contain Pumpkin seed oil. Check the amount per serving against the doses studied, and the label for other ingredients.
Pumpkin seed oil products from partner brands
1 product Paid links · we earn a commission- SupersmartPumpkin Seed Oil Supplement5% off with the Supersmart newsletterGet 5% off with the newsletter (paid link, opens in new tab)
Offer details
Sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of us.supersmart.com; Supersmart says the 5% discount is permanent.
- Supersmart’s footer offer reads “Subscribe to our newsletter and obtain a 5% permanent discount.”
- Supersmart says Subscribe & Save discounts can’t be combined with the 5% newsletter discount.
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- Offer terms from Supersmart’s site, checked Oct 16, 2026. Offers can change; the brand's checkout is final.
2 softgels: 1,000 mg pumpkin seed oil plus 20 mg vitamin E; 30 servings
$13.00one-time$11.05subscribeChecked Oct 11, 2026
References
8 sources. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited in this article
8 sources- 1Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialEvid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014 · PMID 24864154
- 2Comparitive effectiveness of finasteride vs Serenoa repens in male androgenetic alopecia: a two-year studyInt J Immunopathol Pharmacol, 2012 · PMID 23298508
- 3Natural Hair Supplement: Friend or Foe? Saw Palmetto, a Systematic Review in AlopeciaSkin Appendage Disord, 2020 · PMID 33313047
- 4Relative Efficacy of Conventional Monotherapies and Select Nonconventional, Over-the-Counter Products for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Network Meta-Analysis StudyJ Cosmet Dermatol, 2025 · PMID 41051009
- 5Pumpkin seed oil vs. minoxidil 5% topical foam for the treatment of female pattern hair loss: A randomized comparative trialJ Cosmet Dermatol, 2021 · PMID 33544448
- 6Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargementCochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023 · PMID 37345871
- 7Serenoa repens (saw palmetto): a systematic review of adverse eventsDrug Saf, 2009 · PMID 19591529
- 8Octa Sabal Plus: product description and ingredient listSAERONA Co., Ltd. (tradeKorea listing), 2008 · tradekorea.com
Pumpkin seed oil and other dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Talk to your clinician or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines. Product links on this page are paid partner links.