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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Low Ferritin Levels And Hair Loss Problem

Hi. I have been experiencing great hair loss for nearly 6 years now. I am male and nearly 20 years old. My hair first started falling out from the roots at the age of 14, whcih was shortly after somebody close to me passed away and I became quite depressed. This was also around the time I first became a vegetarian. My hair falls out a great deal and even when getting changed I find a large number of hairs scattered in my clothing and even moreso when washing my hair, which is why I am always so careful and take a long time, because the slightest tug can cause them to fall out. I never pull at my hair. I dont even comb it because it worries me so much. I ruled out male pattern baldness a long time ago, mainly because there is no pattern (my hair falls out from the top, front, sides and back of my head equally and frequently) and also because nobody I am aware of from either side of my family history has suffered from severe hair loss or complete baldness. My hair is not only falling out, but also has become incredibly thin. At first I assumed it was just stress that was causing this, but I have overcome the depression of my relative who passed away, and now the only thing that depresses me is seeing my hair all over the place. I eventually went to see a doctor in which I told them of my symptoms, which also included constant tiredness and drowsiness , and she recommended I have I blood test . After the results from the test came back, it showed I was normal in most things apart from my ferritin. She told me that a low ferritin level is one of the most common causes of hair loss. I assumed this was because of my vegetarinaism. After I finished the packet of ferrous sulphate tablets that I had been prescribed, I didn t go back for a renewed prescription or another test because travelling to the doctors was a great distance and I was unable to travel by car back then and I do not fell comfortable with confronting my family about these difficulties. I also thought I could solve the problem by beggining to eat meat again. I mostly tend to eat meat like chicken, turkey or fish. only rarely do I eat red meat like beef. However the problem still remains and I have been on this sort of diet for nearly 3-4 years now. Even though I thought the process had started to slow down, I am still persistently losing my hair. Nowadays my hair looks vey strange and Ive had to grow it very long and style it weirdly to compensate for the fact that it is so sparse and thin. The last time I had my hair cut it looked awful and you could see how thin my hair was and could even see the majority of my scalp through it. I look so scruffy which is not a good look for the place where I work. most of the time I walk around with my head down and can t bring myself to look other people in the eyes because I am so embarrassed and I know what I look like. I have been trying to book another doctor s appointment for some time but it is hard to find a time slot. My question is: Do you think I could still be low in ferritin and that my diet alone simply isnt enough to overcome this? will I need additional supplements to help. Please help me. Thanks :)
Sat, 19 Mar 2011
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Ayurveda Specialist 's  Response
Dear
welcome to healthcaremagic
At the simplest level, an iron deficiency is to blame for low ferritin levels and hair loss. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body. To determine if has low serum ferritin levels, a blood test is performed. (It is important to note that hemoglobin is the standard measure for iron in the blood, and while hemoglobin levels can diagnose anemia, they do not always correspond with low serum ferritin hair loss.
You may need some iron supplement for treatment of low hb%
take care
Thanks
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Low Ferritin Levels And Hair Loss Problem

Dear welcome to healthcaremagic At the simplest level, an iron deficiency is to blame for low ferritin levels and hair loss. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body. To determine if has low serum ferritin levels, a blood test is performed. (It is important to note that hemoglobin is the standard measure for iron in the blood, and while hemoglobin levels can diagnose anemia, they do not always correspond with low serum ferritin hair loss. You may need some iron supplement for treatment of low hb% take care Thanks