Diagnosis and Treatment of Female Alopecia: Focusing on Iron Deficiency-Related Alopecia

    August 2023 in “ Tzu Chi Medical Journal ”
    Chia-Shuen Lin, Li-Yi Chan, Jen-Hung Wang, Chung-Hsing Chang
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    TLDR Iron deficiency is the main cause of hair loss in women, and iron supplements started within 6 months can improve hair health.
    The study "Diagnosis and treatment of female alopecia: Focusing on the iron deficiency-related alopecia" involved 155 female patients and found that iron deficiency (ID) was the most common cause of female alopecia (FA), accounting for 70.3% of cases. The majority of women with ID-related alopecia were premenopausal, with an average age of 34.4 years. The study identified ferritin as a more sensitive marker than hemoglobin for early detection of ID, and suggested that the normal serum ferritin level should be redefined as ≥60 ng/mL. The study also found that iron and zinc deficiencies often coexist and that psychological stress is a common comorbidity in ID-FA. The authors recommend initiating iron supplementation within 6 months for a better prognosis of ID-FA.
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