Ferritin and Hair Loss: How Its Related to Hair Growth

Table Of Content

• Improving hair texture damaged by iron deficiency
• Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia
• News from Mayo Clinic
• Diagnosing an iron deficiency
• Addressing shortfalls through diet and supplements: Does it help hair growth?
• Anemia Hair Loss: How an Iron Deficiency Can Affect Hair
• Iron Deficiency and Nonscarring Alopecia in Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

If you have scarring alopecia or alopecia areata, your doctor may recommend an anti-inflammatory medication such as the JAK inhibitor Olumiant (baricitinib) to help tamp down your immune system. Male-pattern hair loss is what causes a receding hairline and baldness in men. In women, female-pattern hair loss typically affects the crown or top of the head first, Mirmirani says. Women may notice that their part is becoming wider or that their scalp is more visible.

Improving hair texture damaged by iron deficiency

Your hair loss problem may be linked to this vitamin deficiency - Health shots

Your hair loss problem may be linked to this vitamin deficiency.

Posted: Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

If you like the idea of adding supplements to your routine, there are some which are specifically formulated to contain ingredients that increase hair thickness and health. This meta-analysis that evaluated associations between iron deficiency and hair loss of the nonscarring type included studies from a broad range of countries from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the USA. The prevalence of iron deficiency, defined as a ferritin level between 10 and 15 ng/dL or below, was 21%. This result is comparable with the prevalence of iron depletion in the general population. In Europe, the reported rates are from 3 to 8% in Poland and Italy to 22–23% in Norway, Belgium, and France [34, 35].

Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia

Some patients may have an allergic reaction to IV iron, so a test dose may be administered before the first infusion. Allergic reactions are more common with iron dextran and may necessitate switching to a different preparation. Severe side effects other than allergic reactions are rare and include urticaria (hives), pruritus (itching), and muscle and joint pain. Forest plot of the difference in mean ferritin values between patients and controls among premenopausal women.

News from Mayo Clinic

There is no evidence that any one type of iron salt, liquid, or pill is better than the others, and the amount of elemental iron varies with different preparations. To be sure of the amount of iron in a product, check the packaging. Wait at least three months to give supplements and dietary changes a chance to work.

Your genes, hormonal changes, illness, and even stress can come into play. And while iron deficiency could be at the root of your problem, if you're experiencing hair loss, your best bet is to see a dermatologist. They can perform tests to determine the cause, and if they suspect iron loss, they'll order labs to find out. It affects 17 percent of premenopausal women, about one in six.

Your doctor would be able to easily determine if your iron levels are adequate with these tests, and recommend a treatment protocol if so. Treatment will then focus on both the iron deficiency and the underlying cause. If your diet is the culprit, Dr. Brill offers several tips for improving your iron intake. Iron deficiency lowers the level of hemoglobin in your blood, which may reduce the amount of oxygen available to cells that cause hair growth. Shortness of breath is a symptom of iron deficiency, since low hemoglobin levels stop your body from effectively transporting oxygen to your muscles and tissues.

Anemia Hair Loss: How an Iron Deficiency Can Affect Hair

They do know, however, that iron is an essential component in an enzyme called ribonucleotide reductase that helps cell growth. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common types of anemia. People with iron deficiency of any kind may develop pruritus, which is the medical term for itchy skin. As you itch, you may scratch your skin, which can cause redness and bumps that look like rashes.

Meta-analyses were performed using the Metafor, Meta, and Demtar [8, 9] packages for R software (version 3.6.1) [10]. The prevalence rates for ferritin deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia were calculated from cohort and case-control studies using the inverse-variance weighting method. Low ferritin may be to blame, but you’ll want to be sure this is the case before taking any supplements or making other significant changes to your lifestyle. Stress management, exercise, and regular sleep can also have positive effects on your hair. Unfortunately, there aren’t many clear-cut answers when it comes to which vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss.

For men and postmenopausal women, gastrointestinal blood loss (which can occur from conditions like ulcers, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease) is a leading cause of low iron. People living with kidney failure or who practice a vegan diet may also be more prone to iron deficiencies. You’ve probably heard of iron deficiency––or maybe even had it yourself. Research estimates between 30–50% of children and other groups worldwide have anemia due to lack of iron. This is especially prevalent in developing countries of Africa, for example, because many kids don’t get enough iron from their diet (Miller, 2013). In some cases, if the cause cannot be identified or corrected, the patient may have to receive supplemental iron on an ongoing basis.

Red blood cells are important for the transfer of oxygen throughout your body. Without enough red blood cells, your organs and major systems don’t work as effectively. Be sure to fill up on iron-rich foods like spinach, peas, lean proteins — like pork and salmon — and dried fruit. You should also look for the phrase “iron-fortified” on labels of packaged foods like cereals. Losing hair due to iron deficiency should only last temporarily.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a condition in which an immune reaction causes the destruction of red blood cells. The immune reaction can be triggered by bacterial infections, some medications, and even pregnancy. It can cause small, unexplained bruising and swelling, particularly of your face, hands, or feet. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is a very rare genetic disorder in which a genetic mutation causes your body to produce abnormal red blood cells that break down too quickly.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. If you need help finding a primary care doctor, then check out our FindCare tool here. Important to note, the daily amount increases to 27 mg/d for pregnant women of any age, and 10 mg/d for lactating women 14–18 years, and 9 mg/d for lactating women 19–50 years (NIH, n.d.). If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

Since tiredness is often considered a part of a busy, modern life, it’s difficult to diagnose an iron deficiency based on this symptom alone. This usually isn't noticeable because new hair is growing in at the same time. Hair loss occurs when new hair doesn't replace the hair that has fallen out. Hair loss can occur if you wear pigtails, braids or cornrows, or use tight hair rollers. Male-pattern baldness typically appears first at the hairline or top of the head. The results of an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the risk of bias assessment of the included studies are shown in online supplementary Table 1 and 2.

Although reducing your stress levels might seem insurmountable, making sure you’re eating the right things will go a long way to setting a good foundation for optimum hair growth. A healthy balanced diet is also important in stress reduction too as it can support a healthy immune system, repair damaged cells and even reduce elevated cortisol levels. Getting enough protein in your diet is essential as it provides the building blocks for proper hair growth; meat, tofu, eggs, beans, grains, nuts, and fish are all good protein sources. Some studies suggest that telogen effluvium can also be connected to low levels of iron, so include iron-rich foods like leafy vegetables, lentils and liver where you can.

This will find out if the number of red blood cells you have (your red blood cell count) is normal. If your hair loss is due to these genetic factors, only correcting your iron levels is unlikely to reverse or stop all hair loss. But, inadequate iron levels may exacerbate genetic hair loss, so some level of improvement may be noted. There are two ways to increase your iron levels if you are deficient, you can either eat more iron-rich foods, you can supplement with iron, or you could do a mix of the two. Illnesses that cause blood loss, such as ulcers and colon cancer, are sometimes the underlying cause of an iron deficiency. Common symptoms include fatigue, paleness, shortness of breath, and dry or damaged hair and skin.