Possible Relationship Between Chronic Telogen Effluvium and Changes in Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Iron Total Blood Levels in Females: A Case-Control Study

January 2015 in “ International Journal of Trichology ”

Auda Aziz, Sameera Sh. Hamed, Mohammad A. Gaballah

chronic telogen effluvium CTE lead cadmium zinc iron hair loss heavy metal body load antioxidants heavy metals

TLDR Higher lead and cadmium, and lower zinc and iron levels in the blood might be linked to chronic hair loss in women.

In 2015, a case-control study involving 30 patients with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE), a common cause of hair loss in women, and 30 healthy controls was conducted to investigate the relationship between CTE and changes in lead, cadmium, zinc, and iron blood levels. The study found that patients with CTE had significantly higher blood levels of lead and cadmium and significantly lower levels of zinc and iron compared to the control group. The study concluded that changes in these metal levels could be associated with CTE, suggesting that estimating blood lead and cadmium levels could be important in cases of unexplained hair loss. The study also recommended reducing increased heavy metal body load through preventive measures and drugs, optimizing intake of calories, iron, zinc, and calcium to reduce lead and cadmium absorption, and supplementing antioxidants to reduce hair damage.

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