Why have blood tests for hair loss and why are they important?
Hair loss and thinning can feel overwhelming, especially when the cause isn’t obvious. At DOSE, we take a medical, evidence-based approach to hair health because healthy hair growth starts inside the body, not just on the scalp.
Blood tests play a vital role in understanding why hair loss is happening and how to treat it effectively.
The Science Behind Blood Tests and Hair Growth
How well your hair follicles function is influenced by many factors, particularly nutritional status and hormone balance. These factors can be the primary cause of hair loss, or they may exist alongside other types of hair loss, making them essential to identify.
Hair follicle cells are among the fastest-dividing cells in the body. This rapid turnover requires a steady supply of energy, nutrients, and well-regulated hormones. As a result, hair growth is a highly sensitive barometer of overall health, and often one of the first things affected when something is out of balance.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Hair Shedding
Deficiencies in nutrients such as iron,vitamin D, and zinc can impact hair quality but also disrupt the hair growth cycle and push more hairs into the shedding phase.
The most common type of hair loss linked to nutritional deficiency is telogen effluvium a form of excessive shedding that affects the entire scalp and can lead to overall loss of volume. While this can feel alarming, the reassurance is important: Hair loss caused by nutritional deficiencies typically does not result in permanent baldness.
Once the deficiency is corrected and maintained within the optimum range, full recovery is expected over time.
Thyroid Hormones and Hair Health
The thyroid gland, located at the front of the neck, produces hormones that govern cell metabolism.
Both:
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Can interfere with hair follicle cell division, impacting:
- Hair growth rate
- Hair thickness
- Hair texture
Blood testing allows thyroid imbalances to be identified early, helping to prevent prolonged thinning and changes in hair quality.
Hormonal Fluctuations and Hair Thinning in Women
Hormone fluctuations are one of the most common and often overlooked, causes of hair loss in women. These changes can occur during:
- Starting, stopping, or switching contraception
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Fertility treatment
- Post-partum hormone shifts
- Menopause
- Underlying conditions such as PCOS
With hormone-related hair loss, shedding may occur, but more commonly we see gradual thinning over hormone-sensitive areas, particularly the crown and frontal scalp, often with widening of the parting.
Treatment usually focuses on addressing the hormone imbalance, often with targeted topical or oral medical therapies.
Diet Trends, Weight-Loss Injections, and Hair Loss
The rise of restrictive diet trends, and the global popularity of weight-loss injections such as Ozempic and Mounjaro has been accompanied by a noticeable increase in hair loss cases.
Rapid weight loss, caloric restriction, and nutritional depletion place stress on the body, and hair follicles are particularly vulnerable. Blood tests help determine whether deficiencies or hormonal shifts following weight loss are contributing to shedding.
Monitoring Hair Loss Treatments Safely
For individuals using medical hair loss treatments, especially those containing hormone-modulating compounds, it is generally advisable to carry out hormone blood tests every 6 – 12 months.
This ensures:
- Hormone levels remain stable
- Treatments remain effective
- Long-term use is safe
While these tests should be available via NHS GP services, access can be challenging due to ongoing resource pressures making private testing a practical option.
What Blood Tests Are Offered at DOSE?
At DOSE, we’ve partnered with Medichecks , a specialist private laboratory, to curate hair-specific blood panels that test for the most common causes of hair loss and thinning.
DOSE Blood Tests Include:
Comprehensive Hair Loss Blood Panel
For a deeper assessment, DOSE also offers a comprehensive hair loss panel
which screens for:
- General blood health
- Kidney and liver function
- Thyroid health
- Nutritional deficiencies including iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and zinc
You can choose to:
- Have your sample taken at home by a Medichecks-trained practitioner, or
- Visit one of Medichecks’ partner clinics across the UK
Clear Results. Expert Guidance.
Results are usually available within 7 days. You’ll receive:
- A laboratory report
- A clear DOSE interpretation guide written by Dr Sharon Wong, explaining your results specifically in the context of hair health
So you don’t just see the numbers—you understand what they mean for your hair and what to do next.
Take Control of Your Hair Health
Identifying and correcting nutritional or hormonal imbalances is usually straight forward and can make a meaningful difference to hair growth, thickness, and scalp health.
Explore DOSE blood test panels today and take the first step towards healthier, stronger hair.
