The Link Between Hair Health and Iron Deficiency Anemia | Blog by a Licensed Pharmacist

Iron and our hair

Ever thought about how iron is like the MVP for our hair? It's this essential mineral that works behind the scenes, making sure our hair stays vibrant and strong. Think of it as the fuel for hemoglobin, the protein that delivers oxygen straight to our hair follicles. When we're running low on iron, our hair might not get the oxygen it needs, and that can spell trouble like hair loss. More tell tale signs of low iron can also be chronic fatigue, paleness, weakness, and vertigo.

Possibly the most common cause of hairloss I see in practice, especially in young women, is anemia. One google search and you will be bombarded with multiple sources confirming how important iron is to hair quality and growth. Anemia is basically low iron, it can have many causes like losing blood, poor diet, vitamin deficiencies (like B-12 vitamin- Blog coming soon), and certain medication. Typically young women who have a menstrual cycle will have low iron because they lose blood monthly. The majority of my patients who come in looking for recommendations for hair loss I recommend getting their bloodwork done to look at iron storage levels in their body- this is called Ferritin.

Understanding your bloodwork levels

Being able to look at and understand your own bloodwork is incredibly valuable. Having struggled with undiagnosed anemia for years myself, I know how fruststraing it is to suffer with hair loss, constant fatigue and vertigo. Only to simply be told you have "normal" bloodwork.

When looking at the levels of ferritin, it's important to understand that simply being in "normal" range is not enough. Some people need different individual requirements. However, there are general guidelines that can help determine the optimal levels (NOT SIMPLY NORMAL RANGE).

Ferritin (Iron Storage):

While the normal range for women is 12 to 150 ng/mL and for men 12 to 300 ng/mL. The established ideal level for optimal hair health is a ferritin level of at least 70 ng/mL (DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32123). For years I had levels of ferritin in the lower range of normal, around 20 ng/mL, and was suffering with symptoms of anemia and being told that there was no answer for it. You can imagine how disparaging this can be for any one, but I was determined to find a solution. It was only until I began my iron supplementation and increased my ferritin level that my hair began to improve.

To correct your iron, using the proper supplement is important. Iron come in many forms with different amounts of elemental iron in them:

ferrous gluconate- 30 mg elemental iron

ferrous sulfate- 60 mg elemental iron

ferrous fumarate- 100 mg elemental iron

Iron polysaccharide- 150 mg elemental iron

Choosing the right dose should be done with your healthcare professional. In general, the lower the elemental iron the lower risk of side effects like constipation, nausea and upset stomach, your pharmacist can give some recommendations to reduce any unwanted side effects.

As with anything hair related, improvements take time. Typically being on oral supplements for 3-6 months and repeating your bloodwork also every 3-6 months. It can take up to a year to see noticeable difference so just remember to stay consistent!