Low iron is a common cause of thinning hair in a young woman. The typical situation is a young adult woman with heavy menstrual periods and thinning hair. There are no bald spots. Men are rarely affected as they do not lose iron via menstruation. Occasionally, a women with relatively normal or even light periods can still be low in iron if she absorbs iron poorly or donates blood.
The best way to test for this condition is a blood test--ferritin which is usually below 40. When faced with low iron, the body sacrifices the hair before the blood. Thus, the CBC is usually normal--making it an unhelpful screen for this condition.
See hair loss in a woman.
Iron supplementation should be started. The goal is to get the ferritin above 40. This may take several months. Once it is, it may take 4-6 months to see the full benefit on the hair.
If heavy menstrual periods are the cause, the patient should see her gynecologist. If blood donation is contributing, it may need to be stopped. See patient handout for information on supplementing iron in the diet.
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