The Causes of Hair Loss in Women 20-30 Years Old

Objective: To investigate the role of vitamins, minerals, and hormones in the pathogenesis of hair loss in young women between the ages 20 – 30 years old. Methods: We conducted a study based on young women who were referred to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton (secondary care hospital) with hair loss and were investigated by requesting Full Blood Count, Serum Ferritin, B12, Folate, Zinc, Vitamin D, Thyroid Function Test, Luteinising hormone, Follicle stimulating Hormone, Testosterone, Sex hormone binding Globulin (SHBG) and Cortisol. Results: 15 out of 16 patients (93.75 %) of all the female patients who presented with alopecia were investigated and found to be deficient of Vitamin D. 16 out of 17 patients were investigated for Zinc Levels. 7 out of 17 patients (43.7%) were found to have low zinc Levels and 2 out of the 3 patients with irregular periods were noted to have low SHBG levels (66.6%) . 10 out of 16 patients (62%) were found to have abnormal ferritin levels (<20 ng/ml) and 6 out of the 17 patients (35.2%) were found to have low haemoglobin levels . Conclusion: Results from this study highlight the importance of early investigating the levels of vitamins, minerals and hormones in young women who present with alopecia and the need to conduct these blood tests as part of the routine treatment at primary care level.