It’s dreadful to see a lot of hair on your comb everytime you brush.
You know iron is important , but why??
- Significance of iron in relation to hair refers to ferritin, which is the stored iron.
- A person can have a low ferritin level without being anaemic.
- Lower ferritin will almost certainly have a detrimental effect on the hair because it has a direct effect on the hair growth cycle.
- Hair follicles do not continually produce hairs throughout our lifetime, but rather they go through phases of growing a hair and resting.
- On average, a hair will grow for 5 years before falling out and being replaced. If we do not have sufficient stored iron (ferritin), the duration for which an individual hair grows will be reduced.
- One explanation can be 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.
- Hair loss due to low ferritin is common in menstruating women, as blood loss depletes iron stores.
- Normal daily hair loss can be as much as 80-100 strands per day.
- The good news is that hair loss due to low ferritin is entirely reversible.
- Once the ferritin level has been ascertained, therapy can be started.
- In deficiency, supplementation will be necessary in order to take in enough iron to raise the ferritin levels.
- It’s helpful to include iron rich foods in the diet, such as red meat, dark green vegetables, legumes and dried apricots.
(Iron supplements should only be taken on the advice of a specialist, following appropriate blood tests).
Your Comments