Hate to see these coming …

5 things I see all the time as a dermatologist who treats hair loss: 1. Low ferritin - Ferritin is a marker of your body’s iron stores. It’s often reported as “normal” on a lab slip, but I like to see ferritin above 70 for optimal hair growth. Subclinical iron deficiency is massively under diagnosed and under addressed. 2. Slickbacks - A tight hairstyle once in a while is absolutely fine. But repeated tight buns, ponytails, braids, slickbacks, and extensions can slowly damage the hair follicle. This is called traction alopecia, and if it goes on long enough, the hair loss can become permanent. 3. GLP-1s - These meds have helped my patients in so many ways (and are a net positive IMO). But hair shedding during weight loss is very common. It’s generally not the GLP-1 itself, but the fast weight loss, low protein intake, and nutritional deficiencies that it can lead to. I recommend working with a dietician (if possible) while taking these. 4. Undiagnosed or unregulated autoimmune disorders- Autoimmune diseases can affect the hair in more ways than people realize. Sometimes the immune system directly attacks the hair follicle, like in alopecia areata. Other times, the hair shedding is more indirect and happens because the body is under stress, hormone imbalance, or inflammation. 5. “But won’t my hair fall out if I stop?” - It depends on the type of hair loss. If the shedding is temporary, like stress shedding or postpartum shedding, treatment may be temporary too. But the most common types of hair loss I treat are chronic and progressive, like female and male pattern hair loss, which means if something is helping (ex. minoxidil, supplements, scalp treatments, better nutrition), you usually need to stay consistent to keep the results. I talk about this stuff a lot because hair loss is confusing, emotional, and full of bad information online. People deserve to actually understand what’s happening with their hair. #hairloss #hairlossspecialist #alopecia #hairstylist #dermatology