You can’t open a newspaper or magazine without seeing advertisements for hair loss solutions for men, but very few options are offered to women who are losing their hair. Over two-thirds of women have hair loss, and hair loss can be quite extreme – from thinning to bald patches.

Low Iron and Hair Loss

One of the least known causes of hair loss is low iron. You do not have to be anemic to lose your hair. Your doctor may advise you that your iron levels are normal, but low-normal levels of iron will cause huge hair loss. We see this in women after childbirth and in women during the perimenopausal years when heavy periods may occur. Simply being a woman of childbearing age automatically puts you at risk of low iron. Up to 60 percent of women have low iron and it is often undiagnosed. Due to higher iron requirements as a result of menstruation, women need 20 milligrams of elemental iron daily yet most of us are only getting 8 mg per day from our diet. Now that we are not eating as much red meat, even men, children, postmenopausal women and seniors are suffering from low iron.

Hair follicles contain ferritin. When ferritin stores decline in the hair follicle, it affects the ability of the hair to grow causing non-pigmented fine hairs to develop. These hairs are often mistaken for androgenic alopecia. Low ferritin also causes the hair to change structure, become dry, not hold the curl or color well and break easily. Hair loss can be gradual, a general thinning out over the years, or it can be sudden and startling.

Look for IRONsmart as it does not cause constipation, raises ferritin quickly and it has a delicious caramel flavor. Tests conducted on IRONsmart have found that two hours after ingestion, its absorption is five times greater than ferrous fumarate, the standard doctor-prescribed iron in tablets. After 12 hours, the total absorption of iron was double that of all other forms of iron tested. You will need 1-3 teaspoons of IRONsmart (10-30 mg of elemental iron) for fast results. Once iron levels are restored to normal levels hair growth will occur.

Common symptoms of low iron:

• Fatigue or breathlessness upon minor exertion
• Thin or peeling nails
• Hair loss
• Dark under eye circles
• Dry, brittle hair

Don’t Believe a Normal Iron Test

Always ask for your test results. There are two iron blood tests: hemoglobin and ferritin. For hemoglobin, the test range suggested as normal by your doctor is 117-160g/L for women. Yet we know that a hemoglobin below 140g/L will cause significant hair loss. Ferritin, which is your iron storage, has a suggested test range of 15-160ug/L; but to prevent hair loss and ensure thick hair, your reading should be above 70ug/L.

IRONsmart is available in capsules or delicious caramel flavour liquid.