The Ferritin question

Hair is the second fastest cell multiplying tissue in the human body, only bettered by bone marrow. It grows at an average of 0.4 millimetres in 24hours totalling to about 1.5inches long a month. This rapid rate of cell division and movement requires and enormous amount of energy for successful cell growth to happen.

For cell multiplication to happen in the hair follicle germinal matrix, stored energy is required. Oxygen is delivered to the follicles through serum iron and ferritin which is a cellular reservoir that supplies iron when the systemic levels drop. 

Approximately 25% of body iron is stored in ferritin and variation in its levels may affect hair growth process. With the prevalent diffuse hair loss (telogen effluvium) in non-menopausal women, iron stores have shown to be one of the independent hazards. It must also be mentioned that low iron levels will probably exacerbate female pattern hair loss in women at any age.

Abot 10%-30% of menstruating women and 37% menopausal women who have androgenetic alopecia have been affected by low iron stores (ferritin) which may not necessarily be flagged off by the lab. Iron deficiency is considered one of the major reasons for hair loss in women and low iron stores (ferritin) are early marker of iron deficiency.

Although the standard laboratory reference range for ferritin varies, it often falls between 15-150 ng/mL for women. While ferritin levels above 15 ng/mL may be classified as normal, hair loss experts and iron expert suggest that optimal levels should be at least 70-100ng/mL if follicles will perform optimally.  

There are a few things among others not listed that could lead to low ferritin in the body system and that you need to be aware:

Low stomach acid;

For iron to be broken and down and absorbed into the blood stream, an acidic environment is required, hence low stomach acid may lead to low or no absorption.

Taking a wrong form of iron;

Some forms of iron will cause digestive side effects making it difficult for the patient to take iron. Discuss this with your doctor and use iron that is gentler and easier to absorb.

The issue of hepcidin;

Hepcidin is a master hormone that regulates iron absorption or release from the cells. It controls how much iron is available for essential body functions. It also limits the amount of available iron for your body to use so your cells don’t experience iron overload. Oral iron supplements increase hepcidin which in turn blocks absorption for 24-48 hours. Taking iron in alternate days instead of daily dose helps increase uptake as well as decreasing per oral dosage.

These a just but a few things to look at however proper guidance from your doctor is highly recommended if you will successfully analyze your systemic iron parameters and correct them accordingly. 

Your hair remains a barometer giving you clues of underlying situations. So, the next time you are shedding hair, among many other things, remember to check your 4 irons indicators in the body: serum iron, ferritin, iron saturation and total iron binding capacity (TIBC).