Low iron is not just the culprit in women feeling fatigued. Sometimes it can affect the appearance of skin and hair. But before reaching for supplements or adjusting your skincare routine, here’s what you need to know about ferritin and its role in women’s skin and hair.
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You might blame your skincare routine when your skin looks dull, pale or dry, but it’s not the only factor worth thinking about. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body and can offer clues about your iron stores. Low levels may affect more than just your energy.
What is ferritin?
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron and releases it when your body needs it. To assess whether your body’s iron stores are low, you can do a blood test that can measure ferritin levels. Also note, you can have low ferritin without having anaemia, making it possible to be iron deficient before your haemoglobin levels fall.
Women are particularly vulnerable to low iron levels because of blood loss during menstruation, pregnancy and insufficient dietary iron. Heavy periods are a significant cause of low iron.
What’s the link between ferritin and the skin?
Iron helps with carrying oxygen and many essential processes in the body. When iron levels run low, people might notice changes in the skin, hair and nails. Iron deficiency can show up as pale skin and even dry or rough skin.
The hair is often where it becomes particularly noticeable. Hair loss can occur, but also keep in mind there may be other causes like hair thinning in women, hormonal changes, thyroid problems, stress and female-pattern hair loss.
This means low ferritin shouldn’t automatically be blamed for every change in your complexion or hair.
Should you have your ferritin checked?
If you’re experiencing unexplained fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, paleness, or other symptoms associated with iron deficiency, consult your doctor about possible blood tests. Ferritin is usually interpreted alongside other results, like haemoglobin and transferrin saturation, rather than in isolation.
Also avoid taking iron supplements simply because your hair or skin isn’t looking its best. Find out whether blood tests are appropriate to identify a deficiency first, then you can look at supplements as directed by a dermatologist.
Sometimes, healthier-looking skin involves both skincare routines and checking what’s going on inside the body.
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