WHY LOW IRON DEFICIENCY MAY BE CAUSING YOUR HAIR LOSS

Do you feel tired all the time? Have low energy? Are your nails brittle? Is your hair falling out and you don't know why? Well, for many women the answer could be more simple than you think. 

These (among others) are all symptoms of iron deficiency! A deficiency so common that the World Health Organisation estimates that approximately 30% of reproductive aged women globally experience it. 

I am one of those women. 

Like so many others, my iron deficiency began in my early teens when my period began. This coincided with my first bout of hair loss. 

Maintaining my iron levels has been crucial in reversing my hair loss. Like many, this has been particularly tricky for me due to monthly blood loss. However, through my personal experience, reviewing the clinical research and listening to other peoples own stories, I have learnt the link between iron and hair loss and how best to ensure adequate levels. 

Let me begin by telling you what iron actually is and what it does for our body and hair! 

Iron is an essential mineral that our bodies need for proper functioning. We use iron to create hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, as well as myoglobin, a protein that supplies oxygen to our muscles (National Institutes of Health, 2023).

Consequently, iron is very important for hair growth as it supports red blood cells to carry oxygen to the hair follicles. This means that when iron levels are low key nutrients and oxygen do not get to each follicle, causing the hair to become weaker, thinner and sometimes fall out (Nall, 2025). 

Other symptoms of iron deficiency can include: pale skin, fatigue/lack of energy, shortness of breath or chest pain, weakness, rapid heartbeat, cold intolerance, poor sleep, headaches, craving ice or clay (known as Picophagia), brittle nails and of course hair loss (American Society of Hematology, 2025)!

As the body can not produce iron itself, we must get it through our diet. There are two forms of iron that are found in food and these are heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal products such as meat, poultry and fish and is absorbed by the body easily and efficiently. Non- heme iron comes from plant foods like beans, lentils and spinach and is much harder for the body to absorb and utilise. However, pairing non-heme iron with foods high in vitamin C (eg. oranges) can help absorption (National Institutes of Health, 2023). 

This means that vegetarians and vegans are at  greater risk of deficiency and must take greater care in ensuring adequate consumption. 

Menstruating women also require more iron and are at higher risk of deficiency due to blood loss during their period. This monthly blood loss results in losing some of the body's stored iron and if this is not replaced through diet or supplementation, levels can drop leading to deficiency. 

Additionally, higher iron deficiency is more common in pregnancy, among infants and toddlers and those with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (National Institutes of Health, 2023). 

While I will mostly be discussing iron deficiency and its links to hair loss, its important to note that excessive iron can lead to overload and toxicity. This can be due to a genetic condition called hemochromatosis (in which the body absorbs too much iron) or from taking excessive supplements or infusions. Iron overload can lead to symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue and abdominal pain as well as increase risks of liver disease, diabetes and heart issues (Baddam & Chen, 2025).

Now… lets take a look at some of the clinical research that links iron deficiency to female hair loss. 

Overall there are somewhat inconsistent findings. While many studies highlight the importance of iron for hair follicle health, others found the link between iron deficiency and hair loss to be  unclear. Some suggest that this may be due to poor study models or even issues with the accuracy of common iron tests (Elston, 2010). 

However, a study found an association between iron deficiency (tested using the ferritin marker -  the level of iron stores in the body) and female pattern hair loss. Yet, no clear link was found between low iron stores and male pattern hair loss, suggesting that this may have a more hormonal cause (Park et al,. 2013). 

Further research which sampled 5110 women aged between 35 yrs - 60 yrs found that those with low iron stores were more likely to experience excessive hair loss compared to women with higher iron stores. This indicates that low iron may be a risk factor for female hair loss (Deloche, 2007). 

Additionally, through my own journey I have observed numerous anecdotal reports of hair loss linked to iron deficiency, shared through Facebook support groups, Reddit forums and conversations with people in my own life. Many of these accounts stated that hair loss reduced or resolved once their iron levels were restored.

TESTING 

Prior to taking iron its importance to assess the level of deficiency and whether it is needed. I usually access blood testing through my local doctor and due to experiencing heavy periods and a history of hair loss it has been simple to access. 

Here is an example of what the blood test results look like here in Australia and doctors will generally assess iron levels predominantly based on the ferritin marker. 

FIXING MY IRON DEFICIENCY

Resolving iron deficiency can be a complex and individual process. I personally focus on eating adequate amounts of high iron animal based protein such as steak (particularly in the week before my period).

Unfortunately, I have been unable to resolve my deficiency through food alone and also take supplements. Some iron supplements are known to cause gastrointestinal side effects, so finding the ones that work best for me has been an individual process of trial and error.

When my iron was extremely low, I also had a number of iron infusions through my doctor. While these were helpful in restoring my iron levels quickly, over time my iron levels would drop back down. My aim has been to work at restoring and maintaining my iron levels long term, which has been very important in supporting continual hair growth.

If you would like to know more about my own personal iron protocol including how much I take, how often I take it and which kind of iron supplements I prefer, check out my step by step protocol ‘How I Stopped my Female Hair Loss Naturally’. This also includes all the other treatments I used to successfully reverse my hair loss. 

Disclaimer: Please note, I am not a medical professional and am not suggesting that any person undertake any specific health treatment. Please consult a doctor prior to beginning any new health treatment.

REFERENCES 

Baddam, S., & Chen, R. J. (2025). Iron overload and toxicity. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526131/

Deloche, C., Bastien, P., Chadoutaud, S., Galan, P., Bertrais, S., Hercberg, S., & de Lacharrière, O. (2007). Low iron stores: A risk factor for excessive hair loss in non‑menopausal women. European Journal of Dermatology, 17(6), 507‑512. https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2007.0265

Elston, D. M. (2010). Commentary: Iron deficiency and hair loss: Problems with measurement of iron. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 63(6), 1013‑1015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.10.040

Nall, R. (2025, February 26). Can an iron deficiency cause hair loss? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321668#iron-deficiency-anemia-symptoms

Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. (2023). Iron: Fact sheet for consumers. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/

Park, S. Y., Na, S. Y., Kim, J. H., Cho, S., & Lee, J. H. (2013). Iron plays a certain role in patterned hair loss. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 28(6), 934‑938. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2013.28.6.934

Society of Hematology. (2025). Iron-deficiency anemia. https://www.hematology.org/education/patients/anemia/iron-deficiency

The Iron Protocol (for Iron Deficiency with or without Anemia) Facebook group.

World Health Organization. (2023). Anaemia in women and children [Data theme]. Retrieved November 5, 2025, from https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children