Need to hear success stories of hair regrowth after low ferritin! Am so worried.

[Twoanklebiters]

Hello I have got fine curly hair and have always shed a lot, but recently have noticed my hair is coming out heavily. If I’m stood under bright overhead lights you can see my scalp through the hair at the front, and there are super thin areas at the sides and the temples where you can now see my scalp.
I had a blood test at my ferritin level was 13, (I have also been feeling pretty spaced out but assumed that was down to having two kids and upping my exercise recently.) I’m now taking ferritin tablets, 200mg twice a day but am only two weeks in and already panicking that my hair will just continue to get worse.
Can anyone offer me some hope that things will improve? I feel panicky every time I have to wash and brush my hair as so much comes out. I hate tying my hair back as yo can see the thin bits and I just feel unable to enjoy life! I’m so worried and sad about it all.
I’m really hoping people can reassure me things will improve and let me know roughly how long it might take? I’ve just ordered some vitamin D tablets as well.
Thanks so much to anyone that can help me!

Hi ladies, how is everyone feeling ? Just while I am reminding myself, wanted to share with everyone - keep up with all the healthy food, vitamins and all the other bits you are working with and this phase shall pass too . Lots of love Xx

Hi @Mia5 I’m feeling low today. I felt as if things were stabilising slightly but now I’m not
sure. I’ve also cut my hair really short as it was way too long and straggly and I was sick of dreading washing it and then leaving it to air dry, it would get so tangly. It’s helped a lot cutting it but it’s also really strange, not only have I lost loads of volume but now a lot of length. My hair just doesn’t feel like ‘me’ anymore.
Most of the time I do try really hard to stay optimistic and today I just feel a bit drained by it all. I’m sure the usual January back to work blues etc aren’t helping.
Thanks for your words of wisdom. I’ll try and apply them! How are you?

Hi @YouSetTheTone I totally get you as I am going through the same. I also had cut my hair very short in September and felt exactly the same so I get you. But look at it this way, by the time of your next haircut you will be with full confidence when you go to the hairdresser. How long have you had hair fall for ? Mine has been in the 6th month now. But someone in this forum said that the results can be seen from after 6 months to 9 months so hang in there.

On a totally different note, this condition has shown me who my real friends are and others who i was giving too much importance and are not worth it. A really important lesson in life!

lots of love Xx

@YouSetTheTone i have bought a small heater that blows cold or warm air and I keep it a bit away from me so it doesn’t come straight on me but enough to dry my hair quicker than leaving them to air dry for hours. I also put slight heat protector/ anti tangle serum.

Hi ladies, I has an online consultation with Belgravia Centre and they told me that I have follicular miniaturisation leading to androgenic alopecia. Apparently, it’s the gene that I am born with. Everything was fine until 5 months ago, I was diagnosed of ferritin 6 when my massive hair fall started. The thing is I know my hair is thinning but it’s not visible to others yet. I am now in a dilemma whether to take an opinion from another hair specialist, to give my body more time to see if this stops or get on with the treatment with Belgravia which means I have to use Minoxidil+DHT blocker for the rest of my life. Such a horrible way to spend Friday evening feeling so low

@Milomonster its so good to know u recovered! Well done. I am trying to keep positive reading your message. My ferritin levels were 6 so I too had an iron infusion and it’s been nearly 6.5 months since. My hairfall is reducing but it hasn’t stopped. Some days it is ok but other days still very heavy and am getting so panicky about why it hasn’t stopped now.

I had hair loss and it may well have been related to low ferritin. It was as low as it could go whilst still being in the 'normal' range. Although I've had hair loss since when I went on HRT (so stopped that!). My ferritin levels were low so started to take ferrous fumarate and that keeps the level up, though if I stop they drop right back down again.

My hair shedding did stop, and presumably some regrowth happened as the sparse patches are not as obvious.

The fact that it’s reducing is a great sign! I know it’s terribly stressful. The other thing I did was to increase my protein intake as my diet was truly shit. Have you improved any lifestyle factors?

@Mia5 the fact the hair fall is reducing is a great sign!
We corresponded earlier in this thread. I had hair shedding for about 9 months. It was triggered (I think) by a combination of low iron and fluctuating hormones (I’m peri).
I have been taking iron supplements and high strength vit c for months and it’s now around 100. It has been over 70 for 4-5 months and I’ve been on HRT for 4 months.
My hairfall didn’t stop overnight - it fluctuated but for me this was the start of the end of it…
My daily hairloss is now low even on wash days and I have hairs sticking up all over my head!

The other thing I have been doing for the past 4 months is adding 5 drops of rosemary oil to my shampoo. I rub into my scalp and leave for a few mins before washing off. I don’t know if it’s contributed to regrowth but my hair also feels much less greasy and is finally swishy again. (Although this may well also be the result of MONTHS of eating avocados, egg, nuts, seeds, protein plus collagen and biotin, vitamin D, B12 and zinc!)
Good luck, I’m sure that the fluctuating loss will soon settle to normal now.

@Shitfather yes, have upped my protein intake. Doing everything by the book for eating, vitamins. It’s the stress level that is really hard for me to manage.

@YouSetTheTone thank u so much for your reply .

To all you ladies looking to supplement with iron, please look into Mega Food Blood Builder - it is the only iron supplement that does not irritate my tummy and is actually absorbed by my body.
Also, look into oral Vit B12 tablets that you can take sublingual (let dissolve under your tongue), as, according to the one dr I follow, if you have the MTHFR gene mutation, that is the only way to absorb Vit B.
I went through so much hair loss that now my hair is so thin I cut it into a pixie. I don't want to jinx myself, but the hair fall has stopped (knock on wood - I also had iron infusions and changed my diet) but I have not had any hair regrowth, unfortunately. But I have not given up hope. My periods are super heavy, so I have to keep my ferritin up, and I recently bought protein powder and collagen, hoping that might help.
It is so difficult getting to the "root" of this problem, and so difficult for the ego.
Wishing everyone all the best.

Hi there. Came across this thread while searching for hopeful stories of hairloss. I've been experiencing major shedding at the front and sides of my head for the last few weeks, scalp is very visible and my hairline has receded a little. Am panicking and wondering if anyone has had similar and how they managed to overcome this? I feel it is due to lack of iron and am generally quite low but didn't keep up my iron tablets. Back on them for the last month and have less shedding but not seeing any regrowth. Can anyone offer me hope? Thank you.

It can take a while for regrowth to start. Hair goes in cycles, apparently, so it might be a few months before you see the regrowth. Do you know what your iron levels were (just out of curiosity)?

I think it needs to be around 50/55 for shedding to stop and at least 75 for regrowth. Or something like that - I've suffered hair loss in the past and did some research a while back.

It's great that the shedding has slowed down though - that's a start!

Thank you for your reply and encouraging words! I had bloodtests done with my doc this morning so hopefully this will shed more light on what the underlying problem is.

@Curlymumofthree - Hope the blood tests are helpful. Make sure you find out what your iron levels are, don't just let the doctor tell you they're fine. I was told mine were normal when they were at 11. And the range was 11-315! So as low as I could go and still be 'normal'. I still had to talk the GP into giving me iron supplements.

What's your age? I know hair can thin for some women with age,