What should ferritin levels be for hair growth

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron for the body to use as needed. Many parts of the body contain ferritin, including the spleen, liver, blood, and hair follicles. When a person has a low ferritin count, they will also be low in iron. Because hair follicles contain ferritin, some people think that raising ferritin and iron levels will restore healthy hair. However, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment from a doctor because too much iron can cause problems.

Iron plays a vital role in many essential bodily processes. Without iron, the body cannot create enough red blood cells. Find out more about the role of iron in the body. Red blood cells transport oxygen around the body. When there are fewer red blood cells available, the body has difficulty transporting oxygen to the various organs and tissues. This can cause a range of problems, including anemia and hair loss.

One study found that in general, people experiencing pattern hair loss had lower iron levels than those who did not. Other smaller studies have backed up this claim. For instance, one study found that women with hair loss had low serum ferritin levels, qualifying them for iron deficiency. This was a small study, and more extensive studies might help to explain the correlation between the two.

One explanation for why reduced iron levels lead to hair loss is that when the body is low in iron, it takes the ferritin stored in the hair follicles for use elsewhere in the body. The reduced levels of ferritin in the hair follicles could weaken the hair itself and lead to hair loss.

Iron is an essential nutrient, meaning that the body cannot produce it and must obtain it entirely through the diet. Aiming for a ferritin level above 40 is likely good idea for anyone with hair loss. Aiming for a ferritin above 70 is not my recommendation and is very hard to achieve and generally has little benefit for the hair.

If one's ferritin is between and they have hair loss, it must always be remembered that the ferritin levels may be just fine for that person. I'd still recommend supplementing with iron tablets, but there is not a lot of good evidence that doing so is going to help their hair. Ferritin levels under 15 are often associated with changes in hair cycling. If ferritin is less than 15, I recommend speaking to one's physician about iron pills.

If ferritin levels are low and hemoglobin levels are low something we call iron deficiency anemia , a full workup by a doctor should be booked. Vitamin C helps iron absorption and taking a vitamin C rich sources with iron pills is often helpful to increase iron.

Limiting the use of caffeine may also help. The ferritin level alone does not mean much without taking everything into perspective. Back to Question of the Week. Answer Thanks for the question. Hypoferritinemia without anemia HWA : Is it consistently implicated? Borderline ferritin levels: Evidence for direct role remains poor The discussion of ferritin levels and hair loss comes down to how low one must go before the low ferritin levels start impacting hair loss.

Ferritin levels below 15 Once the iron levels start going low enough, it is true that there is a higher likelihood now that the patient will experience some hair loss an account of those low iron levels. DATE: Deloche and colleagues assessed the relationship in a very large population of women aged between 35 and 60 years.

Ferritin is a type of protein in your blood. It stores iron that your body can use when it needs it. If you have low ferritin, this means that you also have an iron deficiency. When you have low ferritin, you may also experience hair loss.

Unfortunately, it can be easy to overlook ferritin if you also have an underlying condition that may cause hair loss. A ferritin test can help your doctor make this determination so that you can correctly treat it. Some ferritin is stored in hair follicles.

But the process of ferritin loss can occur before a person experiences hair loss problems. Aside from iron deficiency , low ferritin levels may also be caused by:. Red blood cells are important for the transfer of oxygen throughout your body. Symptoms of low ferritin are similar to that of an iron deficiency, and hair loss is just one sign. Other symptoms may include:. Hair loss is often one of the first signs of hypothyroidism, a condition that makes your body produce a lower-than-normal amount of thyroid hormones.

Additionally, a lack of thyroid hormone can cause overall sluggishness, dry skin, and cold intolerance. Weight gain is also common. In some cases of hypothyroidism, hair loss may not be directly linked to a lack of thyroid hormones, but instead to iron deficiency.

This, in turn, causes low ferritin and hypothyroidism to occur at the same time. If this happens to you, ask your doctor about checking out your ferritin levels. Normal daily hair loss can be as much as strands per day, but crucially, an increase in what is normal for you is the most important factor.

What is actually happening is that because the anagen phase is reduced, the hair cannot grow as long as it usually would, as it falls out prematurely, without reaching its maximum length. At the extreme end of this, a person may observe some quite short hairs sticking up, and believe their hair is breaking off, but to the experienced trichologist, these hairs can easily be differentiated from breakage.

The good news is that hair loss due to low ferritin is entirely reversible, and relatively easy to correct. Once the ferritin level has been ascertained by means of a blood test, the trichologist will be able to recommend the best level of supplementation for that individual, based on their personal history. Whilst it is helpful to include iron rich foods in the diet, such as red meat, dark green vegetables and dried apricots, if a person has a known deficiency, supplementation will be necessary in order to take in enough iron to raise the ferritin level.