Female hair loss can have many causes, not all of which you can do anything about (i.e. hereditary conditions). However, some types of hair loss can be caused by something you’re doing or more accurately – what you’re not doing.
The body needs certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients in order to stay healthy and specifically, create red blood cells. If you aren’t eating properly or getting enough of these nutrients as part of your daily diet, you could run the risk of developing anaemia. This condition has a wide range of symptoms, one of the most notable being hair loss.
There are three main types of anaemia that can trigger hair loss. These are:
Iron deficiency anaemia
This is the most common form of anaemia, caused by not getting enough vitamin C and iron in your diet. Symptoms include rapid hair loss, depression, dry hair, weight loss and paleness. Women are more susceptible to the condition than men due to menstruation.
Copper toxicity anaemia
This can be triggered by many things – eating too much meat, smoking, using prescription medications containing copper – and it can cause hair loss, insomnia, headaches and even hypoglycaemia.
Pernicious anaemia
This is a type of anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency and generally affecting people over 40 years old. It can cause weight loss, hair colour change, rapid hair loss and dry hair.