Hair Loss Blood Test

Combined Benefits of Testosterone, FAI, hs-CRP, Ferritin, SHBG, TSH, and FT4:

1. Comprehensive Hormonal and Metabolic Assessment:

   • This panel provides a thorough evaluation of testosterone levels and the availability of bioavailable testosterone, offering insights into endocrine function (testosterone and thyroid function), inflammation (hs-CRP), and iron status (ferritin).

   • It is especially useful for men’s health, addressing concerns like low testosterone (hypogonadism), PCOS in women (via FAI and testosterone), and thyroid-related issues.

2. Thyroid Health Monitoring:

   • The combination of TSH and FT4 provides a detailed view of thyroid function, helping diagnose and monitor hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and adjust treatments as needed.

3. Assessment of Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk:

   • hs-CRP provides valuable information about systemic inflammation and can help assess the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Elevated levels of hs-CRP, in combination with other biomarkers, can help identify individuals at high risk of heart disease, prompting lifestyle or medical interventions.

4. Iron and Hormonal Imbalance Detection:

   • Ferritin helps identify potential iron deficiency or iron overload, both of which can affect overall health and energy levels. Combined with SHBG, it helps evaluate hormonal imbalances and their effects on iron metabolism.

5. PCOS and Metabolic Disorder Insights:

   • For women, this panel is useful in diagnosing and monitoring PCOS and its associated symptoms, such as elevated testosterone and low SHBG. It also provides a clear view of any insulin resistance, which often co-occurs with PCOS.

6. Personalized Health Insights and Treatment Plans:

   • This panel allows healthcare providers to develop personalized treatment plans based on hormonal levels, inflammatory markers, iron stores, and thyroid function. It aids in optimizing treatment for conditions like testosterone deficiency, thyroid disorders, and iron imbalances, improving overall quality of life.

Summary:

The blood test measuring Testosterone, Free Androgen Index (FAI), hs-CRP, Ferritin, SHBG, TSH, and FT4 offers a comprehensive view of hormonal health, inflammation, iron status, and thyroid function. These biomarkers are crucial for:

• Diagnosing hypogonadism, PCOS, and thyroid disorders

• Assessing cardiovascular risk and systemic inflammation (via hs-CRP)

• Monitoring iron balance and identifying iron deficiency or overload

• Evaluating overall metabolic and hormonal health, enabling personalized treatment for a wide range of conditions.

This test provides essential information for managing endocrine disorders, inflammatory conditions, and iron imbalances, ensuring optimal health and well-being.

Our blood test for hair loss lets you explore some specific health issues that could be to blame for hair loss or thinning.

It checks your thyroid hormone levels, which can indicate whether you have an under active or overactive thyroid — both conditions can cause hair thinning. It also checks your ferritin level (iron store), as low iron is another possible cause.

Conversely, raised ferritin levels may indicate an inflammatory disorder, which could be affecting your hair growth. Our hair loss test includes an inflammatory marker (hs-CRP) to check whether this is likely.

Our test also checks your free testosterone level, as a high level of testosterone can contribute to hair loss in males. In females, hair loss is more likely to be caused by a hormonal imbalance where there’s excess androgen’s (a class of hormones that includes testosterone).

There are many reasons for hair loss. The most common is genetics — this is known as hereditary male or female pattern baldness. This can happen at any life stage but is more common with age.

Occasionally, hair loss can be the sign of a medical issue. These include autoimmune conditions (like a thyroid disorder, lupus, alopecia areata, or Crohn’s disease), hormone imbalances, and micro nutrient deficiencies, such as low iron.

Other causes of hair loss include stress, illness, drug side effects, over styling, and regularly applying chemicals to your hair, such as hair dye.

If you’re experiencing hair thinning or loss in addition to other symptoms, we recommend you see your GP.

Shedding hair is a normal part of life. On average, we have around 100,000 hair follicles on our heads and lose between 50–100 hairs per day, as part of the hair’s natural growth cycle.

Hair loss isn’t normally anything to worry about, but if you’re concerned about the amount of hair you’re losing, a blood test is a great first step to begin investigating possible causes.

This depends on the cause. Some types of hair loss are permanent, like male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss usually runs in families.

Other types of hair loss may be temporary, such as hair loss caused by stress, an illness, cancer treatment, or weight loss, and normally goes away as your body recovers from the trigger event.

iron deficiency can cause hair loss and is more common in women who have periods, people with anemia, and people who follow a plant based diet.

Adding iron-rich foods to your diet may help to prevent hair loss if you find your iron level is below the normal range. And your doctor may recommend supplements if you have iron deficiency anaemia.

Healthy levels of riboflavin, biotin, B12, folate, selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and magnesium are also important for healthy hair.