If you've spent time researching hair loss, you've almost certainly come across the term DHT. It's the hormone most commonly blamed for follicle miniaturisation — and for good reason. Understanding how DHT affects the hair cycle is the first step to understanding why saw palmetto has attracted serious scientific attention.
What is DHT, and why does it matter?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen — a sex hormone — derived from testosterone via an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase (5-AR). In certain tissues, DHT binds to androgen receptors and triggers a cascade of effects. In hair follicles that are genetically sensitive to androgens, DHT progressively shortens the growth phase (anagen) and shrinks the follicle over successive cycles. The result: thinner, shorter, weaker strands. Eventually, production can stop altogether.
This process — androgenetic alopecia — is the most common form of hair loss in both men and women. While it's more visible in men, hormonal hair thinning affects a significant proportion of women too, particularly after 30, during perimenopause, or following hormonal shifts from conditions like PCOS.
The pharmaceutical approach to blocking DHT is finasteride, a 5-AR inhibitor. It's effective — but it works systemically, which means it affects DHT throughout the body, not just at the scalp. That systemic reach comes with a side effect profile that makes it unsuitable for many people.
Where saw palmetto enters
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small fan palm native to the southeastern United States. Its extract — particularly from the berry — contains free fatty acids and plant sterols that have been studied for their ability to inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity. The key distinction: saw palmetto appears to act on 5-AR locally, making it a more targeted option than systemic pharmaceuticals.
A 2002 randomised, double-blind trial published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that saw palmetto extract produced positive outcomes in men with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia. A more recent 2020 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology compared topical saw palmetto to 2% minoxidil over 24 weeks — saw palmetto showed comparable total hair count increases and superior results in terms of hair density in some participants.
What makes it particularly relevant for scalp application: topical delivery sidesteps the systemic exposure entirely. The active compounds work where they're applied, on the follicle and surrounding tissue, without affecting hormone levels elsewhere in the body.
The mechanism, simplified
Saw palmetto's fatty acids — primarily lauric acid and oleic acid — compete with testosterone for binding to 5-alpha reductase. Less enzyme activity means less DHT conversion at the follicle. Less DHT means less receptor binding, less follicle miniaturisation, and a better environment for the anagen phase to do its work.
It doesn't reverse established damage overnight. Hair cycling is slow — a full cycle can take months. But consistent reduction of DHT-driven stress at the follicle level gives the growth cycle a better chance to run its full course.
Why it's in the Vyla Peptide Hair Oil
We included Saw Palmetto Extract in the formulation because the evidence is grounded, the mechanism is well-defined, and its topical profile makes it appropriate for a broad range of people — including women — who want to address androgenetic thinning without systemic hormone intervention.
Paired with Sh-Polypeptide-1 for follicle signalling and Arginine HCL for circulation, it addresses DHT activity as one part of a comprehensive approach to the scalp environment. No single ingredient solves hair loss. But the right combination — targeting different mechanisms simultaneously — is where results actually happen.
The Vyla Peptide Hair Oil was formulated to work at the root of the problem. Literally.