October 9 2007, 3:34 pm PT | Posted in: Female Hair Loss
Hello,
I am a 20 year old female and just had a question about my hair. I have been experiencing abnormal hair loss for the last year or so. My hair has always been really thick so it’s been really noticeable for me. I went to the dermatologist last year and he said it was stress. I was and have been under no stress so I ruled out that possibility. Then a doctor told me low levels of iron can contribute to hair loss. I got some blood work and my ferritin level was 4 which, from the information I’ve gathered, is very low. I read that the level needs to be around 40 to stop falling out and up to 70 to start to regrow. My doctor recommended that I take ferrous sulfate 325mg so I have been taking one tablet a day since May 2007. She said it may take 2-3 months to notice any results, but it’s been almost 5 months and I still haven’t noticed any changes. I just wanted some professional advice on the whole situation. I am getting pretty worried that I haven’t seen any results and starting to think that my hair loss may not be due to low iron levels. I have looked up TONS of information on hair loss; I am a very healthy women with no serious health problems. My thyroid levels are fine, I don’t have diabetes or lupus, I’m not under any stess so I don’t know what to do. Could this be just a phase? Please help me!!
Hair loss in women can be the result of a variety of medical conditions. At top of the list of culprits — iron deficiency, thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, and hormonal imbalances.
Iron deficiency could be the cause of your hair loss. Treatment of iron deficiency is usually easy, but you need to continue taking iron for a while to overcome your deficient status and then continue for months to fill the iron reserve in your body.
After completion of iron deficiency treatment, it may take a few months before you see any hair growth and even after that the new hair may not be noticeable due to its short length compared to the rest of your hair. It is possible that the hair won’t fully come back to its original strength. I recommend that you complete the treatment of iron deficiency and wait for at least 6 to 8 months. At that point if you are not quite satisfied with the growth of your new hair, you should see a hair specialist for further evaluation.
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I had a similar problem with regard to the iron. It took 12 months in total for me to see any improvement! 7 months treatment and 5 months to see any benifit. It’s a long process!
I have the same problem. I am 21. I have been taking vits with iron for over a year. I do not eat red meat, but I eat plenty of egg whites so I should not be lacking protein either. I do have a lot of stress but it is so much hair that I am afraid to wash it or brush it.
I also am a healthy 20 yr. old female suffering from excessive hair loss, so i share in your frustration- esp. since i had very thick hair when i was younger. It has been happening gradually for the past 7 years, but has gotten so bad in the past few months that i’m scared i’ll be bald pretty soon. I am even starting to see parts of my scalp when i wear a ponytail. I have also been put on iron pills for low iron levels (i don’t eat red meat), but so far have not noticed any change. It seems like “iron deficiency” is the only thing my doctors can tell me. Either that or i have hereditary balding, which is even scarier and doesn’t make any sence for a person of my age. I just read in the SF Chronicle that hair loss in young women is becoming somewhat of an epidemic. i just really hope doctors can catch up and help us out soon!