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Hair guideIs my shedding anemia or pattern baldness?

Is my shedding anemia or pattern baldness?

✓ Medically reviewed✍️ HairBase editorial team📅 Last updated: June 14, 2026⏱ 1 min read
💡 Quick answer

A tired drain is not automatically AGA. Photograph the part; ask a clinician about labs — do not buy iron from a comment.

AAD-style shedding workups look at history, scalp, and sometimes labs. Ferritin interpretation is clinical, not a forum number. Miniaturising temples remain pattern until examined. This page will not invent a PMID. Related: ferritin-and-hair-loss cause file — different URL. This essay is anemia versus pattern, not a supplement aisle.

Do not start oral finasteride from a low-iron screenshot. Do not double minoxidil because a lab PDF arrived. Iron overdose is toxic, especially to children.

Black stools after self-started iron, fainting, or a child who ate tablets is care now. This is not medical advice.

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📚 Sources

Sources: AAD — shedding ↗

FAQ

What ferritin is “hair enough”?

This page will not invent a cutoff. Ask the clinician who ordered the lab.

Is anemia the same as pattern?

Diffuse telogen versus miniaturisation are different exams.

More minoxidil until ferritin rises?

No. Follow the carton.

Same as ferritin cause page?

Related iron file, different URL.

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Not medical advice. General education only; it does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a licensed professional. Figures such as 1 mg or 5% are labelled strengths you may see in your country — not a dosing instruction. Consult a board-certified dermatologist before starting, stopping or changing any treatment.

⚠️ When to see a doctor — don’t self-treat

  • Sudden patchy or circular bald spots
  • Redness, scaling, pus, pain or itch (possible scarring alopecia — treat urgently)
  • Broken hairs or rapid loss
  • Loss with body-wide signs (weight loss, fatigue, cycle changes, acne, extra hair)
  • Loss right after a new medication
  • Any hair loss in a child
Try the free self-check →
Try the free self-check →