Serum Ferritin and Hair loss

Iron in our body is necessary to make enough hemoglobin which is the  part of  our red blood cells that binds and transports oxygen. There are several forms of anemia, but one of the most common is iron deficiency anemia. Too little iron leads to too little oxygen, which leads to exhaustion. 

Ferritin and Hairloss

Your hair follicles actually store ferritin. When your body is short on iron for its essential functions (such as red blood cell production), it will steal it from the ferritin stored in less essential parts of the body, such as the hair follicle. 

If your ferritin levels are sufficient, a single hair grows five years on average before falling out and being replaced. If ferritin is insufficient, this life cycle gets shorter. Low ferritin also affects the hair’s ability to grow, and may change the hair’s texture, rendering it weaker, more brittle.

Causes of Iron Deficiency

• Decreased absorption and depletion. This can occur with proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, as well as prolonged ingestion of aspirin or NSAIDs. It can also occur with ingestion of too much coffee, black tea, manganese, fiber, calcium, magnesium, or phosphate.

• An hidden bleed. It’s always worth checking for this. Occult bleeds often show up in the GI tract, and screening may include a stool culture, colonoscopy, and/or an endoscopy.

• Menstruation. Menses = iron loss, which means menstruating women are more likely to be at risk for ferritin-related hair loss. 

Adequate Ferritin Levels

Ferritin levels are considered normal for women between 10-120 ng/mL, and between 30-250 ng/mL for men. However, about 50-70 ng/mL are required to stop hair loss and for adequate hair regrowth.