Women's hair loss is unique in that unlike loss in men (which is most commonly genetic), it can be caused by a number of things including medical issues, hormonal changes, or scalp / and sebum issues (which can be very similar to male loss.) It's very common and understandable to first look at things that are unique to women, like hormones and menstruation. One thing that can go hand in hand with menstruation is a lessening of iron when you menstruate. So, a common question becomes "is there a link between low iron and women's hair loss?" or "is my low ferritin level causing my shedding?" I'll answer this question to the best of my ability in the following article.
Iron, Ferritin Levels, And How This Can Effect Your Hair: First up, I have to tell you that I am not a doctor, but I have spent years researching women's hair loss as the result of my own experience. I can tell you that some experts do believe that low ferritin levels and hair loss can go hand in hand. In fact, if you go to a dermatologist for your hair loss, you'll often be tested for iron levels (as well as hormones) as a first step. But, many doctors are only alarmed by a level that is well below normal ranges because our levels can change dramatically during the month.
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And, in my experience, only women with extremely low ferritin levels have success with stopping their loss by bringing up their iron. And, you really only see levels this low in vegetarians, women with endometriosis or abnormal menstrual bleeding, or people with medical issues that are causing severe anemia. I did convince my doctor to work with me in raising my levels (which had always been low, even when I had great hair.) I managed to significantly raise them into normal and even high range, but unfortunately, my hair did not improve - not then, anyway.
Raising Your Levels: With that said, it can't hurt to raise your levels if you are concerned about them. The best way to do this is through foods. Using iron supplements without a doctor's supervision is dangerous and ill advisable. It can be just as harmful to get too much iron than not enough and your body will often have a hard time absorbing it this way (that's why you're often advised to take juice, but even this isn't as effective as many would like.)
A western diet is usually quite sufficient, but if your diet is not protein rich, or if you're a heavy bleeder when you menstruate, consuming "iron rich foods" is more safe and effective than taking supplements without doctor supervision. Examples are red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy green vegetables like spinach and collards, prunes or raisins, and cereals that have been fortified.
Things Which Can Indicate That The Hair Loss Might Not Be Related To Iron: Again, I'm not a doctor, but if you're seeing other symptoms along with your shedding or loss like your hair strands becoming thinner, the texture of your hair changing (a cotton candy or spider web type texture - often called miniaturization), excess oil on your face or hair, scalp issues or pain, patterned loss, an increase in sweating or a different smell to your sweat (which would indicate increased androgens,) these are all issues that point to something else.
What You Can Do In The Meantime: No matter which route you chose to take, there are some things that you can do to support your hair's condition. The key to stopping women's hair loss is really three fold. First, you must stop whatever is the trigger of the loss. Sometimes, this is never found. Sometimes, you happen upon this by dumb luck and by trying different things. Sometimes, it is a time game.
Second, you must diminish the inflammation which can either be the cause of your loss or at the very least a by product of it. Finally, you must support healthy regrowth. Many women (myself included) will find that the regrowth comes in as thin strands with a weird texture. It's important that you nourish and unclog your follicles as they are trying to reprogram to produce healthy hair once again. It does no good to stop the loss only to regrow poor quality hair. This is often an external rather than internal process that focuses on your scalp rather than on what you are doing internally.
Can Low Iron Make Your Hair Fall Out?
How do I know all of this? Because I lived it. In my quest to end my hair loss, I looked at my iron, my thyroid, my adrenals, my hormones, and my scalp in my quest to fix my hair loss. It was a long, hard, frustrating journey which all but wrecked my self esteem but I finally found something that helped quite a bit. You can read my very personal story at http://stop-hair-loss-in-women.com/