Hemorrhoids and Hair Loss

Excessive bleeding from hemorrhoids for a period of four days triggered hair loss which has persisted and has fallen out over a period of four months. I have an iron deficiency although I am not anaemic. Worringly, my hair loss has not occurred on the back and sides (a characteristic of AGA). Do you think my hair will regrow?

Iron loss from acute and chronic bleeding can cause hair loss. It is a controversial issue. A link between iron deficiency and hair loss is not fully shown in every study and that is why iron-deficiency screening is not routine for people with hair loss. However, studies show that whatever the cause of hair loss, having too little iron in the blood makes it worse.

Treatment of iron deficiency is easy and patients with accelerated hair loss due to iron deficiency will respond beautifully to correction of their iron deficiency. You may also be predisposed to AGA and iron deficiency has just triggered the ‘genetic switch’. The good news is, even if this is the case, your hair loss should improve considerably with treatment of iron deficiency.