If you’ve been experiencing hair thinning – and you aren’t in the throes of a major medical situation – chances are you’re wondering the cause of the problem. There are a number of reasons why you could be losing hair, some of which could be related to nutrition.
Iron deficiency, formally known as anemia, is quite common. In fact, studies have found it is the most prevalent nutrient deficiency in the world. What’s more, it is 3 times more common in African Americans than in whites – a scenario worth exploring.
Read on for everything you need to know about iron deficiency and hair loss, according to the experts.
Is There a Proven Link Between Iron Deficiency and Hair Loss?
Dermatologists say although no large studies have yet to make a connection between low iron levels and hair thinning, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a link between the two.
Smaller studies reveal that low iron may be linked to forms of hair loss such as pattern baldness, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss brought on by stress. The data also exposes the importance of iron for hair strength and thickness, which means an iron deficiency may be related to why our hair has a tendency to feel brittle and break off.
Why Does an Iron Deficiency Cause Hair Loss?
In a report published by Healthline, without enough iron, our bodies cannot produce enough hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen. It aids in the growth and repair of cells, including those that stimulate hair growth.
Common causes of iron deficiency include chronic blood loss (as in the case of heavy menstrual periods), pregnancy, dietary changes that exclude iron-rich foods, and gastrointestinal issues resulting in malabsorption. Not only does iron deficiency hair loss look like traditional male-and female-pattern hair loss, but a study published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science found that low iron may also cause hair to fall out in a fashion similar to that of genetic male- and female-pattern baldness.
How to Diagnose Your Hair Loss
While iron deficiencies can cause us to lose our hair, so can several other factors like genetics, illness and hormones. And although it might be tempting to take a guess at what’s causing it, making time to consult with a board-certified dermatologist for an up close and thorough examination is an ideal way to discern all of the applicable culprits in your body that might trigger excessively fallen strands. In addition to performing routine blood tests to examine ferritin (a blood protein that houses iron; it helps your doctor to understand your iron levels), they can perform hair-pull tests to evaluate the degree of hair loss, screen for stress-induced alopecia, and conduct in-depth diagnostic work such as scanning your scalp to determine any evidence of scarring, redness and scaling.
The good news is, if a medical diagnosis for an iron deficiency is established, then doctors can help reverse it, and the hair loss. With treatments from prescribed supplements (they do not endorse using any hair growth supplements unless otherwise directed), and instructions on how to incorporate more iron-rich foods in your diet, expect to get back on the road to normal, healthy hair growth and length retention.
But patience is key – it can take several months for hair to regrow.
The Final Takeaway
While researchers have been trying to identify the reasons behind the racial disparity in anemia for decades, they continue to come up short. A study by the United States Department of Health and Human Services found that iron consumption didn’t seem to offer a clear explanation for hemoglobin level differences between Black and white Americans or why Blacks are 3 times more likely to be deficient in iron, but this common disorder overwhelmingly affects our community, especially women.
There could be many reasons why we experience hair loss, but if iron deficiency is at the root of the problem, then it’s pretty simple to fix.
Let’s start talking more about it – the discrepancy matters.
