‘Ferritin face’ is the latest TikTok health trend: Should you get your levels checked?
Seek professional advice if you are concerned about your symptoms.
There always seems to be a new health trend going viral on TikTok, and one that’s gaining significant attention at the moment is “ferritin face”.
Numerous creators have shared videos highlighting their dark under-eye circles, pale skin and brittle hair, and have attributed these physical features to low ferritin levels, which can be associated with an iron deficiency.
Although “ferritin face” is not a recognised medical diagnosis, this social media trend has prompted many people to self-diagnose themselves after watching these videos.
We spoke to Dr Mohammad Bakhtiar, a GP at Medical Express Clinic in London, who explained what ferritin is, the important role it plays in our health, and when you should consider getting your levels checked.
What is ferritin and what do low levels of it tell us about our health?
“Ferritin is the complex protein that stores iron in the body,” says Bakhtiar. “So, when ferritin levels are low that indicates that you might have an iron deficiency because there is not enough iron to go around.”
Does low iron present with physical symptoms?
“Low iron or iron-deficiency anaemia can present with symptoms like a pale face, tiredness and a lack of energy. Lesions around the lips might also indicate low iron,” says the GP.
“Weight loss and hair loss are also signs that might suggest you need to get your blood haemoglobin levels checked.”
Could these symptoms be caused by something else?
“Yes these symptoms could be caused by something else,” says Bakhtiar.
“For example, a viral infection, pain or a chronic disease can all affect paleness. However, if a patient is presenting with all these symptoms, a doctor will probably want to exclude anaemia and an iron deficiency first.”
Who is more at risk of having low iron or iron-deficiency anaemia?
“Post-surgery patients who have lost a lot of blood, women with heavy periods, pregnant women and people with chronic kidney or liver disease, or bone-marrow issues are all more at risk,” says Bakhtiar.
The GP compares low blood in your body to having low money.
“If you have a low amount of money, there will be two main reasons for this. Either you spend a lot of money, or you don’t make much money. It’s exactly the same thing with the amount of blood,” says Bakhtiar. “You either lose blood somewhere, or your bone marrow isn’t making much blood.”
When should you get your levels checked out?
“Remember that you know your body better than any doctor. So, if you have got any indication of anaemia or present with any symptoms you are concerned about, then you should get them checked out,” advises Bakhtiar.
“If a patient says ‘I’m tired, I’m losing my hair, and I’ve got this lesion in my lips and I’m pregnant’ and the doctor suspects they might be anaemic, two of the first things that they will do is a full blood count and an iron profile.”
Part of an iron profile will measure ferritin levels.
“If the ferritin levels are low that means your iron level is low, and you will have to find out what the underlying problem is,” explains Bakhtiar.
“If you don’t have anaemia, but your iron level is low, you might have an iron absorption issue.”
What is usually the next step after low iron is identified?
“Patients will usually initially be provided with iron supplements first,” explains Bakhtiar.
Then they will be reviewed and followed up.
“If this makes a difference and the haemoglobin levels come up, and supplements make the patient feel better, then that’s good,” says Bakhtiar.
“However, if the iron supplements don’t help at all then there could be another cause such as the absorption of iron is not correct, or a patient could be bleeding somewhere, or their bone marrow might be failing to make blood. So, further investigations would be needed to find the underlying cause.”
What are the consequences if someone with an iron deficiency or anaemia isn’t diagnosed and treated?
“There can be very bad consequences if you have anaemia and it’s left untreated because it can lead to breathless, because you don’t have enough blood to carry the oxygen around your body, and other serious complications,” explains Bakhtiar.