While it is possible to enhance the ability of hair follicles to grow new hair through iron supplementation, this endeavor needs to be directed by a physician. Overdosing on iron can lead to serious and detrimental consequences.
Iron deficiency caused Hair Loss, how Does It happen?
In the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a team of medical experts, including Leonid Benjamin Trost MD, Ellen Calogeras, RD, MPH and Wilma Bergfield MD expressed their perspective that efforts to restore hair results are enhanced when iron deficiencies are addressed. Furthermore, having lower levels of this important mineral is very likely to make conditions worse, despite the cause. Likewise addressing iron deficiencies through medical expertise can actually optimize hair growth. Thus, the phenomenon of iron deficiency caused hair loss, is indirectly deduced from these circumstantial evidences.
Also in their review of various research studies over the last 40 years, they noted that depleted iron levels are more closely associated with hair loss than is recognized by most of the medical community.
Furthermore, George Cotserelis of the University of Pennsylvania also believes strongly in the relationship between iron and hair loss, noting that there is a much higher chance of patients being able to restore new hair growth or stop shedding at the very least. Many doctors believe that suspected iron deficiency caused hair loss should only be treated if the individual has been diagnosed with anemia. But now there seems to be a shift to a new paradigm of helping hair restoration patients with iron issues with or without a formal diagnosis of an iron deficiency cause hair loss.
While there are some doctors who support the idea of treating deficient iron levels to benefit hair loss others are reluctant to go this route.. They support their stance by pointing out that there are many other research studies which show absolutely no link between hair shedding or thinning and iron deficiencies..
How Would Iron Be Able To Help With Hair Restoration
There is no guarantee that iron holds the key to the successful restoration of hair. However, in order to understand why this mineral can be of benefit to patients, it is important to realize that iron is a central component of the blood’s hemoglobin. It is responsible for helping transport oxygen molecules to different parts of the body. Therefore, it can be assumed that when iron is low, less oxygen would be available to the follicles as well as other systems.
Therefore, even though genetic forms of hair loss have to do with having DHT sensitive protein receptors on the follicles, reduced oxygen can make conditions much worse.
Again, efforts to restore hair oftentimes need to involve a combination of many different approaches for both short term and long term improvements. And success is usually more probably the earlier a treatment approach is started.