Hello. Thanks for writing to us at healthcaremagic
You seem to have Androgenetic
Alopecia.
The treatment which you are currently on is composed of topical
minoxidil and Oral Saw palmetto extract(the main active ingredient of the tablet).
Only Minoxidil and
Finasteride (an oral
antiandrogen) were originally approved for use in this type of alopecia.
Saw palmetto extract is an alternative to finasteride that is lately being used instead of finasteride because it is claimed to be devoid of sexual side effects of finasteride like loss of libido, however it is not yet approved for this indication.
Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of saw palmetto extract is similar to finasteride.
Both, Saw palmetto extract and Finasteride inhibits the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to
Dihydrotestosterone (
DHT) in hair follicles. DHT is the main culprit in this type of hair loss.
Results are usually noticeable over a period of 6-8 months of regular minoxidil use and oral treatment. However, the results may vary from individual to individual.
Discontinuing treatment would reverse the improvement achieved, therefore, treatment is long term and once the desired results have been attained patients may be switched on to a maintenance regime wherein once daily or alternate days minoxidil is continued life long along with life long saw palmetto extract Or finasteride.
There are no specific precaution except that you need to use the treatment regularly
Regards