Ferritin and Hair Loss
Why Your Iron Levels Matter More Than You Think
If you have been losing hair and your doctor has told you your blood results are normal, this blog post is for you. Because there is one thing that comes up again and again in my trichology consultations, and it is this: Low ferritin.
Most women have never even heard of it. And yet it is one of the most common and most missed causes of hair loss that I see.
So what is ferritin? Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your body. Think of it as your iron reserve, the supply your body draws from when it needs it. When ferritin levels drop too low, your body makes a choice. It prioritises your vital organs, your heart, your lungs, your brain, and it diverts iron away from things it considers less essential. Unfortunately, hair is one of those things. Hair is not vital for survival. So when resources are scarce, the body simply stops investing in it. The result is increased shedding, thinning, and hair that feels weaker and grows more slowly than it used to.
"But my doctor said my iron is normal"
This is something I hear almost every week. The truth is your doctor is not wrong. The reference range used in standard blood tests is designed to identify anaemia. It tells you whether you have enough iron to function. However, functioning and thriving are two very different things.
For healthy, strong hair growth, research suggests ferritin levels need to be significantly higher than the minimum threshold. Many trichologists and hair specialists work with an optimal ferritin level of 70 µg/L and above, which is far above what most GPs consider normal. So you could have a ferritin level of 18 µg/L, be told everything is fine, and still be losing hair because of it. This is not a failure of your GP. It is simply a gap in what standard blood tests are designed to catch.
Who is most at risk?
Low ferritin is particularly common in women who:
Have heavy or irregular periods
Are going through perimenopause or menopause
Follow a vegetarian or vegan diet
Have a history of anaemia
Are under significant physical or emotional stress
Have recently been pregnant
If any of these apply to you and you have also noticed changes in your hair, low ferritin could absolutely be a contributing factor.
What are the signs?
The hair loss associated with low ferritin tends to look like diffuse thinning, meaning it is spread across the whole scalp rather than in one specific area. You might notice:
More hair coming out in the shower than usual
Hair feeling finer or weaker
Less volume overall
A wider parting
Hair that seems to grow more slowly
It can be gradual and easy to dismiss. Which is exactly why so many women go undiagnosed for years.
What can you do?
The first step is getting your ferritin levels tested and making sure you ask for the actual number, not just whether it is in the normal range. If your levels are low, there are things you can do:
Diet plays a role. Iron rich foods like red meat, lentils, spinach and pumpkin seeds can help
A good quality iron supplement is often recommended, ideally taken alongside vitamin C to support absorption
Please do not self supplement with high dose iron without guidance. Too much iron can be harmful
Always work with a healthcare professional
A trichology consultation can also help piece together the full picture. Because low ferritin rarely exists in isolation. There is often more than one factor contributing to hair loss and understanding all of them is what leads to real, lasting results.
If you have been told your bloods are fine but your hair is still falling, please do not give up.
Normal does not always mean optimal.
And you deserve more than a shrug and a just wait and see.
Tschüẞ
Carolin x