Study Says: No Link between Iron Deficiency & Female Hair Loss

Past research has suggested that women with iron deficiency are more likely to suffer from female pattern hair loss (often abbreviated as FPHL). However, a recent study at Duke University Medical Center shows that this may not be so.
Published in the December issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a study performed by Dr. Elise Olsen and colleagues assessed 381 women with female pattern hair loss, along with 76 women without FPHL,  to see what, if any, role iron deficiency plays.
The researchers used two different definitions of iron deficiency. A ferritin level less than or equal to 15 µg/L, and the second, less than or equal to 40 µg/L. They found no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of iron deficiency among premenopausal or postmenopausal women with FPHL and the control subjects (those women without hair loss).
“Clearly, although we have shown no difference in the prevalence of iron deficiency between women with or without hair loss, there remains the need for more definitive studies that evaluate whether correction of iron deficiency in women with hair loss actually affects hair growth; and for that, a carefully controlled, placebo-, age-, and menstrual status-matched study of sufficient numbers using a standardized definition of iron deficiency needs to be performed,” the authors wrote.
If you or someone you love suffers from hair loss, please call us for a private consultation. Our Indianapolis cosmetic surgery practice helps both men and women with hair restoration concerns.
To your health & beauty,
Dr. Gregory Chernoff