Should you use iron supplement to help hair loss?

Only if low in iron: A person may take iron supplements if he or she is deficient in iron. If he is healthy (been evaluated by a primary care doctor); eating a healthy, balanced diet; taking a daily multivitamin + minerals; and has no serious vitamin or iron deficiency; then taking extra iron is unlikely to make any difference in his hair loss. Excessive iron intake can lead to iron overload in the body.

Under Doc direction: While there is evidence that iron deficiency is closely related to hair loss, the inverse is not always true. Your doctor should test your ferritin(iron) levels. Higher levels than normally accepted can help with hair loss but too high levels can be toxic so these supplements should be only taken under the direction of a doctor.

No: The most recent study failed to find an association between hair loss & low iron. Do not take iron unless your blood tests indicate iron deficiency----not the same as anemia! if you are anemic or iron deficient it is very important to identify the cause. Too much iron in the body is cause for major untoward effects and is difficult to correct.