You cannot open a newspaper or magazine without seeing advertisements for hair loss solutions for everybody, but very few options are offered to women who are losing their hair. Over 2/3 of women suffer from hair loss and hair loss can be quite extreme – from thinning to bald patches. In few women go totally bald like men do, but there is nothing more distressing than watching your lovely locks fall out in abundance. Topical solutions for women rarely reverse hair loss. And the drugs that are available have been predominantly researched in men and do not address the underlying reasons for hair loss in women.
The three main reasons for hair loss in women are :
Low Iron (ferritin)
Low thyroid
And not enough minerals in the diet.
The relationship between iron and hair loss is well documented. Low iron levels lead to hair thinning and hair loss problems – in fact its one of the most common problems in women with hair loss. The problem with low iron levels is that they can be hard to diagnose. Your iron levels can fall to very low as the above said levels; before you are even aware you have a problem.
Most probably iron deficiency or anemia is a common problem for women and the population in general up to 80% of the world’s population is estimated to be iron deficient. So the problem is big and the impact is huge.
Most common symptoms include:
Fatigue
Pale skin
Reduced cognitive skills
Feeling cold all the time
Increase risk of infections
Irritability
Brittle nails.
One of the most known causes of hair loss is in low iron. You do not have to be anemic to lose your hair. One of the most common causes of hair loss in women, without doubt is low iron stores. A large majority of the women who consult a Trichologist have below optimum iron stores for good hair growth. A study conducted on 1000 women revealed 33% suffered female hair loss, 90% caused by low iron stores and 10% caused by Genetic (female pattern baldness) or other factors.
We see this in women after childbirth and in women during the perimenopausal years when heavy periods may occur. Simply being a woman of child bearing age automatically puts you at risk of low iron. Up to 60 percent of women have low iron and it is often undiagnosed. Due to higher iron requirements as a result of menstruation, women need 20 milligrams of elemental iron daily yet most of us are only getting 8 mg per day from our diet. Now that we are not eating as much red meat, even postmenopausal women and seniors are suffering from low iron.
Other common symptoms of low iron:
No energy / fatigue
No energy / fatigue
Pale skin
Breathlessness upon even minor exertion
Dark under eye circles
Dizziness
Thin, brittle or peeling nails
Restless legs etc.
If you don’t have believed a normal iron test, and your doctor tells you, your iron is normal, ask for the test results. There are two iron blood tests: 1) Hemoglobin and 2) Ferritin.
For Hemoglobin, the test range suggested as normal by your doctor is 117 to 160 g/L for women. So we know that hemoglobin below 140 g/L will cause significant hair loss. And Ferritin is your storage, has a suggested test range of 15 to 160 ug/L, but to prevent hair loss and ensure thick hair, your reading should be above 40 ug/L.
Anemia or low iron levels can be caused by several different factors, including a variety of medical conditions, diseases and ultimately, a poor diet. The main contributing factors include:
Excessive bleeding
(heavy menstrual periods in particular though the bleeding can be gastrointestinal or colorectal)
Medical conditions to slow your ability to absorb iron from your diet
A poor quality diet
Blood donation
Medications or food choices are that hinder the absorption of iron in your diet.
Start today with liquid iron, a thyroid support formula and a great multivitamin with minerals and your hair will start to regain its youthful bounty. It is not normal to look down at the bottom of the tub and see nothing but hair swirling around the drain. Investigate these three common causes and your plumber will be as thrilled as you are with your thicker, fuller hair.
Hair follicles contain ferritin. When ferritin stores are decline in the hair follicle. It affects the ability of the hair to grow causing non-pigmented fine hairs to develop. These hairs are often mistaken for androgenic alopecia. Low ferritins also causes the hair to change structure become dry, not hold the curl or color well and break easily. Hair loss can be gradual, a general thinning out over the years, or it can be sudden and startling.
Hair loss or thinning is a common and important issue, especially in those who have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. If you are experiencing hair loss in a generally thinning way ( diffuse), then treating: nutritional deficiencies and an under active thyroid are especially important.
In other words, Low Iron, hypothyroid or low thyroid hormone is an undiagnosed epidemic. 23% of women are currently taking thyroid medication and up to 30% of women may also have subclinical or mild hypothyroidism where by their thyroid stimulating hormone is within the normal range of 0.5 – 5.5 lU/ml, yet they still experience symptoms. Thinning hair, hair loss and loss of eyebrow hair are common symptoms of low thyroid. A deficiency in these hormones may also result in some of the following symptoms:
Constipation
Dry skin
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Sensitivity to cold
Menstrual problems/heavy periods
Fatigue or lethargy
Headaches
In fact, it is thought that people who are regular blood donors men in particular – benefit from the blood loss involved because it lowers their iron levels. Having said this, it is also true that iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in Western cultures, primarily due to poor diet among those living at poverty levels.
Finally, I suggesting low iron levels need investigating as to the cause, but a simple blood test can determine whether you lack iron or not – and if it is below the above said recommended level, taking iron tablets or eating more green leafy vegetables, pulses and meats can stimulate for hair growth.
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