Hair fall is often blamed on stress or hair products that stopped working, but doctors now say low iron stores may be one of the biggest hidden causes. UK GP Dr Amir Khan recently warned that many women experiencing sudden thinning or shedding may actually have iron deficiency, even when their blood tests look normal.
Dr Khan noted that women with periods, heavy bleeding, or perimenopause are at high risk of low ferritin. Even if haemoglobin is normal, ferritin may still be too low to support healthy hair growth. He advised women to ask their doctors for a ferritin test and warned against taking iron supplements without medical guidance.
Why Iron Matters For Hair Health?
Iron helps deliver oxygen to rapidly dividing hair follicle cells. When the body is low on stored iron, it prioritizes essential organs, not hair. This pushes more hair into the shedding phase, reduces volume over time and leads to hair loss.
Multiple studies show a strong link between low ferritin and hair loss in women. Research consistently finds:
- Study shows, women with telogen effluvium have much lower ferritin than healthy controls.
- While another research shows, around 60 to 70 percent of women with diffuse hair loss show iron deficiency.
- Ferritin levels below 30 to 40 ng/mL are commonly associated with shedding, as found in this research.
- Some experts suggest 70 ng/mL or higher for ideal hair growth.
Why It’s Missed?
Iron deficiency hair loss is often overlooked because it doesn’t always show up clearly in standard blood tests. Many women have normal hemoglobin levels, which makes doctors assume their iron status is fine, even when their stored iron is actually low. The symptoms are also vague; fatigue, dizziness, or hair shedding can be brushed off as stress, seasonal or hormonal hair fall. In many cases, ferritin isn’t included in routine tests, so the true iron reserves never get checked. To make it more confusing, inflammation in the body can temporarily raise ferritin levels, hiding the fact that iron stores are actually depleted.
To properly diagnose iron-related hair loss, it’s important to request a full iron panel rather than relying on basic bloodwork. Ask your doctor to check ferritin, hemoglobin, serum iron, and either transferrin saturation or TIBC, along with CRP to rule out inflammation that can mask true ferritin levels. These tests together give a clearer picture of your stored and circulating iron. Once treatment begins, ferritin should be retested every few months to track progress and ensure levels are rising enough to support healthy hair growth.
Who Is At Risk?
- Women with heavy periods
- Perimenopausal women
- Vegetarians and vegans
- Postpartum women
- Women with thyroid issues
Tea/coffee-heavy diets
How To Improve Iron?
Diet
Diet plays a key role in restoring iron levels for healthier hair and works even better when combined with natural DHT blockers and a hair fall control diet. Focus on adding iron-rich foods such as lean meats, fish, spinach, lentils, beans, tofu, and seeds to strengthen your hair from within. Pair these foods with vitamin C sources like oranges, tomatoes, or bell peppers to boost absorption. You can also include natural DHT-blocking foods such as pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, green tea, and berries to help reduce hormonal hair fall. While doing this, avoid tea, coffee, or calcium-rich foods too close to your iron-rich meals, as they can interfere with iron absorption and slow down the progress of your hair fall control diet.
Supplements
Take iron supplements only after getting a ferritin test and following your doctor’s guidance, since taking the wrong dose can do more harm than good. When you do start supplementation, take your iron together with vitamin C to improve absorption and make it more effective. It’s also important to avoid coffee, dairy products, or antacids around the time you take your supplement, as these can interfere with how well your body absorbs the iron you’re taking.
Fix Underlying Issues
Check for inflammation, gut absorption problems, or other nutrient deficiencies.
What To Expect?
- Shedding may improve in 1–2 months.
- Hair growth may restart in 3–6 months.
- Full improvement may take up to a year.
Iron deficiency remains one of the most common and overlooked reasons behind women’s hair thinning. Dr Khan’s warning highlights the need to check ferritin, not just hemoglobin. If you’re noticing unexplained shedding, a simple ferritin test may be the missing link.
Avoid self-medicating with iron, because taking supplements without knowing your actual levels can lead to more harm than good. Excess iron can be dangerous and may cause digestive issues, toxicity, or strain on vital organs if taken unnecessarily. And since ferritin can rise during inflammation or illness, it must always be interpreted in context rather than judged by the number alone.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplements, treatments, or making significant changes to your diet, especially when it involves iron or other nutrients that can affect your overall health.
