Iron And Hair Loss

[Thulani]

Hi all

I have just found out that I am severally anaemic. That explains my lack of energy etc but it also explains my hair breaking. I had not realised that iron was so important to hair growth and maintance but it is.I 've been natural for about ten years and everything was going fine hair three inches past my shoulder it was loooking good. but maybe two years ago i noticed it breaking , tried so many differnet things but nothing worked. Now it barely reaches my shoulder and its still quite fragile. Im hopefully a prescribed dose of iron as well as watching my diet more closely will help. Any suggestions re food that is particularly rich in origin and is not called LIVER.

yours in peace and love

[theultra79]

I have anaemia too. I'm not a big red meat eater but I do love liver. :) I do realize I'm probably the only person under the age of 80 who does though! Anyway, SPINACH and other dark green leafy veggies are high in iron. Also make sure to take your iron supplements with a source of vitamin c to help absorbtion. HTH

[Rhapsodie]

I'm also anemic. I've been slacking on my supplements and my hair is showing it. Try to load up on dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli, I know those are good for iron.

I don't eat meat so I can't really give any suggestions for that.

HTH!

[lovinblackness]

Brown lentils are high in iron as well as blackstrap molasses and pumpkin seeds. I believe that almonds may be good as well.

[chocsundae]

Hi all

I have just found out that I am severally anaemic. That explains my lack of energy etc but it also explains my hair breaking. I had not realised that iron was so important to hair growth and maintance but it is.I 've been natural for about ten years and everything was going fine hair three inches past my shoulder it was loooking good. but maybe two years ago i noticed it breaking , tried so many differnet things but nothing worked. Now it barely reaches my shoulder and its still quite fragile. Im hopefully a prescribed dose of iron as well as watching my diet more closely will help. Any suggestions re food that is particularly rich in origin and is not called LIVER.

yours in peace and love

Olabisi
[/b]

Thanks so much for this thread. I have been going crazy trying to figure out why I am experiencing breakage and thinning with my locs, and I think you may have answered my question. I found out that I was anemic also. The doctor put me on iron and folic acid, but I haven't been as diligent as I need to be about taking it. I bet I will be now. I also like liver (go figure), so I think I'll have to start cooking it again.

I would greatly appreciate any help with whatever else I could do to put a stop to my hair breakage. My hair is steadily growing but my locs are breaking and thinning.

[ReginaCarter]

I believe the majority of women have anemia ,due to the fact we tend to eat less red meat than men and we have our cycle every month,all u have to do is get 2 pills of iron supplement and eat alot of green vegetables ,Liver is said to be toxic for the human body due to the fact it retains the toxins from the cow s body ,it s sure a good source of iron but also a source of unwanted toxins .

If u re not a fan of red meat ,take iron supplement and eat alot of spinach ,broccoli etc,lettuce..,red beans (a good substitution of meat ) and white fish .

[LLM]

Thanks so much for this thread. I have been going crazy trying to figure out why I am experiencing breakage and thinning with my locs, and I think you may have answered my question. I found out that I was anemic also. The doctor put me on iron and folic acid, but I haven't been as diligent as I need to be about taking it. I bet I will be now. I also like liver (go figure), so I think I'll have to start cooking it again.

I would greatly appreciate any help with whatever else I could do to put a stop to my hair breakage. My hair is steadily growing but my locs are breaking and thinning.
[/b]


You can try increasing your deep conditioning routine and also use essential oils on your scalp, Rosemary and Peppermint are good for stimulating the scalp, as they encourage blood flow to wherever they have been applied, on the scalp it would mean the hair folicles being stimulated to promote growth. The deep con treatments will reduce breakage, hope this helps, good luck.

[Bklyn78]

I am experiencing some thinning in the crown area and I suspect its iron deficiency. Did you know there are type types of Anemia and its suggested you get the DNA of your particular type to know the risks and how to treat/manage it? Some never go away but are treatable. If you push it to the side it can have serious side effects.

Just passing on some info.

[Padme32]

Yes, low iron can definitely contribute to your hair not thriving. Red meat is definitely the best source of iron, so if you are open to that, incorporate it into your diet. As far as liver goes, calf's liver is the best source as it has no toxins in it compared to an adult cow's liver. There is also veal liver, too.

The thing about meat is that you do not have to eat a lot of it to get the benefits. Don't sit down to a whole plate of a thick steak, lol. Or eat liver every day. Just a small portion of meat and large portion of veggies should do it for you. Liver is so nutrient dense, you could probably eat some every few months and be good.

I also started taking a liquid iron supplement called Floradix (http://www.requiredforlife.com/) that has herbs and vitamin C in it. It has helped me start out my 2nd pregnancy with normal iron levels and I just started taking it 3x's a day to make sure I keep my levels normal as I get towards the end of the pregnancy.

[Daniella]

Yes, an Iron deficiency can lead to hair loss, among other health problems. I'd consult the opinion of your doctor. Additionally, stress is among one of the most frequent causes of hair loss among women, so you might consider that as a possibility.

[starlightbeauty]

Take the prescribed iron EVERY DAY! I am extremely anemic as well, in fact, my anemia is far worse than most people's. I take the iron supplements every day and my hair is growing like weeds.

I know that foods like raisins, prunes, and lima beans are very high in iron too, so try to snack on those more often.

Hope this helps! :)

[straightnochaser]

There's a thread on iron deficiency on the Health & Wellness board. You may want to stop in there.

[Sohful1]

Also ladies, please know that there are different types of anemia disorders. I found this out the hard way. For years I've been what was considered "anemic". Most of my female siblings are. Throughout my childhood and adult life I've been given and was told to take Iron. I've done so to no avail. Even a few years ago I was getting Iron treatments at my doctors office every week! This helped a little but not much. The fatigue,brittle nails and moodiness was still there. So about two years ago I finally was diagnosed with Alpha Thassalemia...finally :). At least now I know where I stand and what I can do about my levels. The Hemotologist recommended that I "not" take Iron pills as it seems that my levels were increasing. I'd started eating a diet that included more Iron rich foods and taking Vitamin B-12. I say all this to finally say.....make sure that you're "just anemic". If that's the case then taking Iron supplements will help. But if they are not helping dig deeper and ensure that it's not anything else. Below is more information on this disorder:


Mild Anemia
People who have alpha or beta thalassemia trait can have mild anemia (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2015). However, many people with this type of thalassemia have no signs or symptoms.
Mild anemia can make you feel tired. It's often mistaken for iron-deficiency anemia.

What are thalassemias?


Thalassemias (thal-a-SE-me-ahs) are inherited blood disorders. "Inherited" means they're passed on from parents to children through genes.
Thalassemias cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin) than normal. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. It also carries carbon dioxide (a waste gas) from the body to the lungs, where it's exhaled.
People who have thalassemias can have mild or severe anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh). This condition is caused by a lower than normal number of red blood cells or not enough hemoglobin in the red blood cells.

[Sohful1]

There's a thread on iron deficiency on the Health & Wellness board. You may want to stop in there.


Headed there right now! Thanks :)

[cutenapj]

I have anaemia too. I'm not a big red meat eater but I do love liver. :) I do realize I'm probably the only person under the age of 80 who does though! Anyway, SPINACH and other dark green leafy veggies are high in iron. Also make sure to take your iron supplements with a source of vitamin c to help absorbtion. HTH

OMG I loooooveeee Liver too!! lol I thought I was the only one. I am anemic as well, which makes my hair really fragile and was worsened by wearing wigs without wig caps and culminated in the back of my head thinning. Gradually nursing it back to health though.

[mariajay]

A few years ago my mum was told by her doctor she was anemic. He suggested she drank beetroot and or carrot juice. After drinking a small glass of beetroot juice for some weeks her she was no longer anemic.

[G.Eve]

This answer might Sound crazy but it works well. Only if you are a beer drinker: Guinness. It works.

[mariajay]

Yes, guinness is full of iron. Me and my siblings use to drink it when we were younger.