London - Baldness in men and women is linked to low iron levels, say researchers in South Korea.
They compared iron levels and hair in more than 400 people and found that women with female pattern hair loss - where hair thins, often from the top of the head - had iron levels that were on average 50 percent lower than those with a full head of hair.
One in five of the men with male pattern hair loss had lower than average iron levels.
“Screening iron status could be of help for hair loss patients,” say the researchers.
Iron helps carry oxygen to cells and it’s thought that as hair follicle cells grow so much, they require a lot of it.
So when levels are low, it may accelerate the process in people who have inherited a predisposition to baldness. - Daily Mail