In short
- Ferritin below 30 ng/mL is deficient; below 70 ng/mL is suboptimal for hair growth.
- London female hair loss patients present with a median ferritin of 22 ng/mL.
- Oral iron takes 3–6 months to raise ferritin meaningfully; hair follows another 3 months.
- Iron infusions (£350–£750 in London) raise ferritin in a single session — reserved for severe cases.
Ferritin — the storage form of iron — is the single most-checked and most-under-corrected marker in London female hair loss consultations. The NHS 'normal' range starts at 15 ng/mL. Hair follicles need dramatically more than that to cycle properly.
The hair-specific ferritin target
Peer-reviewed trichology consensus is a ferritin above 70 ng/mL for meaningful hair recovery. Below 30 is clinically deficient; between 30 and 70 is 'normal on paper, poor for hair'. A woman with ferritin 25 and diffuse thinning will not respond to any topical treatment until her ferritin is corrected.
How to raise ferritin
Options, cheapest to most invasive:
- Oral ferrous fumarate 210mg (NHS) or gentler ferrous bisglycinate 25mg — daily or alternate-day dosing.
- Take with vitamin C, avoid coffee, tea and calcium within 2 hours of dose.
- Retest ferritin every 8–12 weeks.
- For severe deficiency (or intolerance), a private iron infusion in London costs £350–£750 and raises ferritin in a single visit.
When to test for the cause
Persistent low iron in a menstruating woman is usually explainable. In post-menopausal women or men, unexplained iron deficiency needs GI investigation — never chase ferritin without asking why it dropped.
You cannot topical your way past a ferritin of 20.
Frequently asked
Common questions
Can I just take a multivitamin?+
Most contain 10–14mg iron, which barely covers daily losses. A therapeutic dose is 25–100mg elemental iron depending on severity.
How quickly will my hair recover?+
Ferritin recovery: 3–6 months. Hair recovery: another 3 months. Total 6–9 months from starting iron to visible density gain.
Do vegans need higher doses?+
Not necessarily — plant iron absorbs less efficiently, but vitamin C at meals largely closes the gap.
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