I ignored my health condition and lost half my hair – a supplement helped me grow it back, don’t be like me
A DIETARY supplement transformed one woman’s thinning locks after years of ignoring an underlying iron deficiency.
Alongside extreme hair loss, she had experienced shortness of breath and low energy.
The woman took to Reddit’s TwoXChromosomes forum writing under the handle u/curioushummingbird.
She recalled how not taking her anemia seriously caused her to lose more than half of her hair.
“I hadn’t been formally diagnosed, but I’ve known I was anemic since my teens when I first started trying to donate blood and would almost always be rejected due to low hemoglobin levels,” she said.
“So as an adult, I’m familiar with the common symptoms (low energy, very pale skin, head rushes) but never took them too seriously.”
The 5ft 2ins woman who weighs around 54.4kg revealed a terrifying experience while hiking with friends led to finally speaking to a doctor.
“I knew I was out of shape and would probably get a little winded from climbing the hill, but I knew there had to be something wrong when I couldn’t even make it halfway before having to stop to gasp for breath,” she said.
“I literally felt like I couldn’t breathe and was taking huge, deep breaths while feeling like my heart was pounding out of my chest.
“It was honestly kind of scary, so later that day I set up an appointment with my doctor to get bloodwork done.
“My results? 7.5 g/dl; almost less than half what it should be and almost to the point of needing a transfusion. Yikes.
“So at this point, I was definitely taking it seriously and dutifully took my daily dose of 325 mg ferrous sulfate for 3 months to bring it back up.
“I was feeling terrific and had so much more energy. I started working out again and was overall a lot happier.”
The woman said having to get a haircut to disguise how much her locks had thinned within a year made her start to pay closer attention to the shedding.
She said it was a few months after she began to take the supplements for her anemia that she began to experience new growth in once-patchy areas.
“It’s been a year now since I started taking supplements and the new growth is about 6 inches long,” she said.
“My hair is wavy when long and curly when short, so you can imagine how I look right now.
“It honestly makes me think of a football helmet.
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“I love having my hair long, so I’m putting up with the stringy ends for now, but will probably cut it once the new growth reaches my collarbones.
“I’m honestly just grateful that it’s growing back.
“So yeah, if you’re anemic, don’t be like me and ignore warning signs lol the consequences are definitely not worth it!”
The post received hundreds of up-votes and many commenters confessed they hadn’t considered their hair loss could’ve been due to anemia.
The Redditor said taking supplements has made an “insane” difference to her overall health.
“I take one every 3rd day now,” she wrote. “Make sure you take them with a full meal otherwise they can make you feel nauseous for hours.”
“I’m not sure about the brand because it’s just prescribed by my NP [nurse practitioner], but it’s 325 mg pills of ferrous sulfate,” she added.
“They’re red pills and about the size of an M&M.”
Anemia occurs when your blood is low on red blood cells or hemoglobin, according to Healthline.
Having an iron deficiency is “one of the most common” causes of anemia.
Children, female adolescents, pregnant people, vegans, premenopausal people, and those with chronic diseases are at the greatest risk of having low iron.
Symptoms can include hair loss, brittle nails, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and feeling weak.
Ferrous sulfate supplements usually come in the form of oral tablets and can help to maintain normal iron levels or treat deficiency, including anemia.
It’s important to speak to a healthcare professional before taking the supplement as the amount to take varies by individual.
