Iron and Hair Loss After 50: Should You Get Your Ferritin Checked?

When your part looks wider or the shower drain fills faster, iron pills can seem like an easy fix. Before you buy a bottle, it’s worth knowing what research says about iron and hair, and why low iron after menopause is a clue to follow up.

Does low iron cause hair loss?

The evidence is mixed. A dermatology review found that some studies link iron deficiency with several kinds of hair loss and others do not.¹

One controlled study compared women seen at a hair clinic for female pattern hair loss or long-lasting shedding (chronic telogen effluvium) with women who had no hair loss. Low iron was common in all groups, and it was not more common in women with hair loss, before or after menopause.² The researchers noted that whether correcting low iron helps hair regrow is unknown.²

What the review advises

• There isn’t enough evidence to recommend checking iron in everyone with hair loss, or giving iron to people with low iron but no anemia, so the decision comes down to clinical judgment.¹
• Iron deficiency anemia should be treated.¹
• Too much iron can be harmful, especially for people with hereditary hemochromatosis, an iron overload condition.¹

Some dermatology clinics check iron routinely in people with hair loss anyway.¹ Our guide to why hair sheds covers other common triggers.

Why low iron after 50 needs a closer look

Before menopause, the usual cause of low iron is menstrual bleeding. In postmenopausal women, the most common causes are bleeding in the digestive tract and poor absorption, and the review says to look for a source of blood loss, including colon cancer.¹ Taking iron without finding the cause can hide that problem. Our article on colon cancer screening tests explains the options.

Reading the tests

Hemoglobin screens for anemia, and ferritin confirms low iron stores.¹ Ferritin can read falsely high with infection, inflammation or some cancers, so other iron tests are sometimes needed.¹

Questions to ask

1. Do my symptoms and history warrant iron tests?
2. If my iron is low, what’s causing it?
3. Do I need iron pills, and for how long?
4. What else could explain my hair loss? Our guides to thinning hair and hair vitamins cover other causes and claims.

Try: “My hair has been thinning for six months. Could we check my blood count and ferritin, and if my iron is low, find out why?”

Hair, Everywhere includes a Hair Check and a monthly Hair Log. Use them to track shedding, test results and any supplements you take. See the book.