Untangling the Hairy Issue of Iron Deficiency: Making Progress

    June 2011 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Elise A. Olsen, Katherine B. Reed
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    TLDR Iron deficiency is common in women regardless of hair loss, and treating it does not usually reverse hair loss.
    The study investigated the prevalence of iron deficiency in women with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE), female pattern hair loss (FPHL), and a control group without hair loss, using a ferritin level of less than or equal to 40 µg/L as the threshold. It found that 45.6% of women with FPHL, 53.1% with CTE, and 52.6% of control subjects were iron deficient, indicating no significant difference between those with hair loss and the control group when considering menopausal status. The study concluded that iron deficiency is common but may not be a direct cause of CTE or FPHL, as treating it rarely reverses hair loss. Dermatologists are advised to screen for iron deficiency during hair loss evaluations for overall health, and future research should include controlled trials of iron replacement, particularly focusing on postmenopausal women with CTE and using a strict definition of iron deficiency.
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