Just thought I would tell my story in case it may help someone else. I have had pcos since I can remember diagnosed in 2000. Anyway in the last year or so, my hair started to fall out and of course i assuned it was due to hormones and pcos. Turned out, I was very iron deficient. Dont let your doc just run a cbc because you can be iron deficienct but not be anemic. You can have normal hemoglobin but have a low ferritin. THat is the test you need to ask for ferritin. it represents your iron stores and anything below 50 can cause hair loss.
Hope this helps just oneperson out there. My hair has grown back and I feel so much better to boot...
Yeah I've discovered mine was from iron deficiency too! I had to ask though because my doc just ran a cbc but I noticed all the clue pointing to iron deficiency and asked her for a test for it because she told me everything looked fine. (Stupid docs) Sure enough, I'm iron deficient. I've felt and looked so much better since I started taking iron.
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Mine was also very low. I've been on iron supplements for a about 4-5 months now and I'm not noticing any improvment with the hair yet but then it takes a long time to get the levels up. My doc said it can take up to a year before replenishing ferritin stores. My last blood test had my ferritin go from a 16 to a 23 and my % saturation from a 14% to a 23%. Very slow process.
__________________ Dx PCOS w/ IR 4/05 High Cholesterol 9/00 Glumetza (Metformin) 2000mg
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I am so happy to read this post. I am still in the process of getting all of my tests done, though PCOS and iron deficiency have both been determined. I started taking iron pills last week along with Vitamin C, which is meant to help with absorption. Hopefully, this will eventually curb the hair loss.
Just out of curiosity, how long did it take for your hair to start to grow back?
Interestingly enough, within a few days my hair was falling out less, and within two weeks I started to see little spikey regrowth....that was shortlived as after a few weeks of no falling out and regrowth, it started to fall out again...
But, two to three month later, the shedding slowed and regrwth started again...Anyway, I would give it four to six months to really see a difference.
Keep an eye on your ferritin blood work before you start gauging hair loss against it. My level was only a 14 when I started (normal range 20-250) and I was told by my doc that ideal is 50 or above for healthy hair.
__________________ Dx PCOS w/ IR 4/05 High Cholesterol 9/00 Glumetza (Metformin) 2000mg
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Hum!
My doctor said my iron was low but she thought my hair loss was because of testosterone, so I will keep taking my iron and anti test. haha.
Ok i have a ?
My hair is sooooo thin, but for the last year I have had tons of regrowth but it doesnt thicken my hair at all have any of you had the same problem? And does it ever thicken?
Its just wierd because you would think with so many little hairs it would eventually look thicker, but it doesnt
(I also use nioxin)
And how many mg do you all take of iron?
I take Feosol (45mg of elemental iron) 3x a day until my ferritin stores up. I don't anticipate that happening very soon.
I bet your hair loss is due to testosterone, but having low iron sure doesn't help!
I do get tons of regrowth all over, little 1-2 inch hairs. It comes and goes in phases, sometimes it seems like my hair is thicker, other times thinner. Right now I'm on the very thin side b/c I went off the pill a few months ago and now tons of hair is shedding, but I do have lots of those short hairs. Time will tell if they get longer, I hope they do b/c I'm having a rough time covering my scalp at the moment..
__________________ Dx PCOS w/ IR 4/05 High Cholesterol 9/00 Glumetza (Metformin) 2000mg
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Hum!
My doctor said my iron was low but she thought my hair loss was because of testosterone, so I will keep taking my iron and anti test.
Keep your iron levels up, but unless you can get and keep your testosterone levels within the normal female range your hair growth pattern will continue to develop along male lines. As I understand it, the choice is either to let your hormones take their own natural course, or to do whatever it takes to keep your hormones in the normal female range and to ensure that What's vital is to catch the hair follicles that are beginning to shrink before they go beyond the point of no return. The latter course of action may result in regrowth, or at least a halting or slowing of the thinning and balding process, the former is leaves the process to proceed as far and at what rate it may take naturally.
Hey!
So what do you guys think of this: In the front and on top I have tons of 1/2 inch hairs but still my hair falls out a lot, its as if my hair falls out new ones grow etc on and on like a cycle where the hair never stays. In the front I have like one inch of 3 inch newgrowth and no long hairs so if i didnt have the newgrowth i would have none there. That was creepy to me and confusing. Just wanted your opinions Thankso
Turns out, my hair loss was due to low iron 
