28/02/2026
So you’ve been to your GP for blood tests to find a reason for your hair loss.
Ferritin: “Normal.”
Vitamin D: “Sufficient.”
TSH: “Perfect.”
You’re told everything looks fine.
But you’re still losing 100+ hairs a day.
Here’s the key difference: normal prevents disease. Optimal supports function.
As a pharmacist, this is where I explain the difference between “within reference range” and “optimal for hair physiology.”
Reference ranges are designed to detect disease. They answer the question:
“Is this dangerously abnormal?”
They don’t always answer:
“Is this ideal for hair growth?”
Ferritin may prevent anemia at 15 ng/mL — but hair follicles often need higher iron stores to stay in the growth phase.
Vitamin D is “sufficient” at 30 — but many people function better above 40–50 for immune and follicle support.
TSH can be “normal” at 3.4 — but some feel and grow hair best closer to 1–2.5.
The body functions in a way that prioritises survival. Hair is non-essential tissue and therefore isn’t a priority for nutrients. If nutrients are borderline, your body prioritises vital organs that keep you alive — not your scalp.
Secondly, as pharmacist, who has helped hundreds of women with their hair loss,I don’t just ask “Is it normal?”
I ask, “Is it optimal — and are you absorbing it?”
If you’re supplementing iron but ferritin barely increases, the issue may not be dose — it may be absorption.
Before increasing iron aggressively, we assess digestion and optimize absorption. More iron isn’t always better — excess can be harmful.
Because preventing disease and optimising function are not the same thing.Hair loss is rarely one single lab value.
It’s about patterns, thresholds, absorption, inflammation, and hormone balance.
Normal” doesn’t always mean “optimal.”
And when it comes to hair growth, that distinction matters.
