Hair loss due to anemia. Will it grow back?!

[JJkate]

Hi, I have had quite bad hair loss, first noticed in September, had blood tests which said my levels were 19. I have been taking ferrous sulfate since November. I was retested in January and my levels had increased to 45 (which doesn't seem much?) The shedding stopped straight away but I was still finding loads of hair in the shower and my hairbrush every week.

Since a few weeks ago I am no longer finding excess hair so that seems to have stopped. My hair is so straggly and looks awful. The slightest bit of wind and I look like one of those rocker blokes with awful thin wispy long hair. My eyelashes are also woeful. I know it's only cosmetic but it's really upsetting.

Has anyone had successful hair regrowth and if so, how long before you noticed it looking normal/full again?

It will but ferritin needs to be above 70 for healthy hair growth, so it will just take time to get there.

Have your thyroid gland levels been tested?. This could all be due to this gland being out of sync .

It will once your ferritin raises to hair growth levels, but will take a good few months for you to notice the difference.

I'd be taking iron and vits B and D too. Sorry but it can take quite a long time for hair to get back how it was (iron levels increase quite slowly and then the new hair has to grow back in) but it will recover. I had similar a while back and there's a really obvious change in my hair texture from when my iron levels got high enough again. Yes agree thyroid problems can thin hair growth too - a lot of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are shared with low iron so it can be hard to distinguish and GPs will tend to check iron as first-line. Definitely go back if you notice little improvement in energy levels/ feeling cold.

plenty of us do have completely normal hair grow with depleted iron stores... the whole 'you need a ferritin of 70' thing isn't true for everyone. There are many, many causes of hair loss/changes - if improving iron stores doesn't help then it may be worth exploring some of the others.

What is causing you to become anaemic?. Do you have heavy periods?. Those can certainly cause anaemia over time due to blood loss.

The cause needs to be properly determined and I would also push for further investigation with a specialist like an endocrinologist. Such problems are often outside a gps general remit.

Thanks for all the replies. Tbh I thought it was probably diet related. I have had digestive issues (upset tummy, loose stools etc) for a few years and diet has become increasingly restricted as so many things set me off; fatty foods, onions, garlic, meat, gluten, dairy etc. I've had all the investigations like coeliac blood test, colonoscopy, endoscopy, Sechat test and nothing was found. I don't like or tolerate meat well or fish or dairy. I'm trying to eat more beans and veg now and hoping the tablets will help too. I was feeling very tired and worn out and felt instantly better after starting them.

I saw a gastroenterologist who in the end said it's probably my microbiome and couldn't do anything else. I've found a liquid probiotic called Symprove helps a bit.

I lost a lot of hair in my early 20s due to low iron (undiagnosed crohns disease). It grew back pretty quickly when I was treated with steroids.

Have also had thyroid checked and was ok. I do have fairly heavy periods but not massively so. Lose about 90mls a month over two to three days (mooncup). Apparently this is normal amount of fluid to lose.

Also spatone worked well for me for increasing iron

Yes, mine is growing back now, it's taken the best part of two years but the GP only put me on 20mg of iron initially until I saw a female doctor after 9 months and she put me on 210mg plus folate , get your b12 checked if you haven't as one can affect the other and b12 also affects hair and skin. I've found UK lash and brow amazing for my eyelashes and eyebrows. I'd say once I had a b12 injection and got on the right dose of iron it only took a few months and a haircut for the texture to improve, the regrowth is slower

My hair was pretty thick and still growing when my ferritin was 20, so don’t think this is universally true.

True, hair loss doesn't affect everyone with anaemia, but for those it does affect getting levels up to 70 is important. I had about 18 years of anaemia and hair loss - doctors kept stopping my iron prescription once my levels were over 15, which they said was 'normal'. Once I found out (on here!) about getting levels to 70, I bought the prescription strength ferrous fumerate over the counter. It took a year to get up to 50, and a few months after that I saw improvements. My hair looks normal now, and each strand is much thicker and stronger. It's gradual and you need to be patient, but it will happen. I never thought it would for me after all these years.

Mines taken about 6 months to start feeling full again, I take 2 ferrous sulphate every other night, 2 biotin, and vitamin D. It’s started looking really glossy again since taking a full amino acid supplement as well. I took a pumpkin seed oil after reading about it on Facebook and it almost immediately stopped the shedding but I didn’t realise interfered with hrt and it messed up my cycle so I had to stop it.

Thanks for all your comments. It's encouraging to hear it may grow back. I had my b levels checked and all fine. I was taking a high level vit D and they told me to stop as my levels were too high.

For those that didn't lose hair, did you start out with very thick hair? I had lots of very fine partly curly partly wavy hair that looked fairly thick but wasn't thin or thick, kind of medium and guess it looked thick because of the curl/wave. Alas no more, I've lost so much you can see lots of strands, like it doesn't sit together as one anymore, just lots of straggly bits.

The GP tried to refuse a repeat prescription after 6 months but I argued and showed the letter from the gastroenterologist who suggested I can take it indefinitely. They weren't happy but agreed to let me have another 3 months and then retest. No way am I going to stop and then go back to low levels again. If they refuse again what is the best type you can get without a prescription?

Have you tried any hair-specific supplements? I hadn’t before, but started taking Glowwa Hair Food Meno about 6 months ago because my hair was looking thin and fragile. It’s made a big difference, my hair feels a lot stronger now and I’ve got loads of new regrowth. It’s not a quick fix, but I’m so glad I stuck with it.

Ferrous fumerate 210mg is the prescription strength tablet but you can also buy it over the counter at the pharmacist.