--- title: "Iron Deficiency Symptoms in Women: 12 Signs, From Your Nails to Your Hair, and the Blood Test to Ask For" description: Tired, losing hair or craving ice? 12 signs of iron deficiency in women, the main causes, the ferritin test to ask for and the foods that help. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-02T09:31:12.087Z updated: 2026-11-02T09:31:12.121Z canonical: https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/iron-deficiency-symptoms-women image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-9138966.webp categories: Health, Food & Nutrition content_type: Guide publication: Rich Health Magazine schema_type: Article --- You sleep for eight hours and wake up tired. By mid-morning you need a second coffee, the stairs at work leave you out of breath and there is more hair in your brush than there used to be. You blame a busy month, a bad week or getting older. For many women, the real cause is a lack of iron. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, and it affects women far more than men. Every period takes iron with it, heavy periods can drain your stores month after month and pregnancy raises your need sharply. Low iron also hides well. Your stores can run down for months before a standard blood test shows anything wrong, so you can feel every effect while your results come back normal. This autumn, social media has given it a new name, 'ferritin face', the claim that dark circles and dull skin reveal low iron. Your face cannot diagnose a deficiency, but your body does send clear signals. These are the 12 to watch for, and the blood test that finds low iron early. Iron sits at the centre of haemoglobin, the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every tissue in your body. When your stores run low, your organs receive less oxygen and your heart works harder to make up the difference. That explains why the first signs feel like exhaustion rather than illness. ## How Much Iron Women Need The NHS recommends 14.8mg of iron a day for women aged 19 to 50, almost twice the 8.7mg men need. After the menopause, your need falls to 8.7mg. If you still have periods after 50, you may need the higher amount. ## 12 Signs of Iron Deficiency in Women ### 1. Tiredness That Sleep Does Not Fix Fatigue is the most common symptom. With less oxygen reaching your muscles and brain, a full night's sleep no longer resets your energy, and an afternoon slump can arrive by mid-morning. ### 2. Shortness of Breath on Stairs If a flight of stairs leaves you out of breath when it never used to, your body may be breathing faster to compensate for blood that carries less oxygen. ### 3. Heart Palpitations A pounding, fluttering or racing heartbeat is a common sign. Your heart pumps faster to push more blood, and therefore more oxygen, around your body. ### 4. Paler Skin and Pale Inner Eyelids Haemoglobin gives blood its red colour. When levels fall, your skin can look paler than usual. Pull down your lower eyelid in good light: the inside should be pink or red, and a pale lining is a sign worth mentioning to your GP. ### 5. Headaches Headaches are one of the main symptoms the NHS lists. Less oxygen reaching your brain can trigger them, and they often arrive alongside dizziness or light-headedness. ### 6. Hair Loss You may notice more hair coming out when you brush or wash it. Hair follicles are among the fastest-growing cells in your body, and when iron is scarce your body directs it to vital organs first. ### 7. Brittle or Spoon-Shaped Nails Nails that chip and break easily can be an early clue. In more advanced deficiency, nails can become thin and curve upwards at the edges into a spoon shape, a change doctors call koilonychia. ### 8. Restless Legs at Night An uncomfortable urge to move your legs when you lie down in the evening is linked to low iron. Iron helps your brain make dopamine, which plays a part in controlling movement. ### 9. Craving Ice or Paper An urge to chew ice, paper or other things that are not food is called pica. Craving ice is one of the more distinctive signs of iron deficiency, and it often fades once iron levels recover. ### 10. A Sore Tongue Your tongue may feel sore, look smooth or appear paler than usual. Some women also notice that food tastes strange. ### 11. Cracked Corners of Your Mouth Painful sores or splits at the corners of your mouth, known as angular cheilitis, can appear when iron is low. ### 12. Ringing in Your Ears or Itchy Skin Less common signs include a ringing, buzzing or hissing sound in your head, known as tinnitus, itching without a rash and difficulty swallowing. ## Common Causes of Iron Deficiency Heavy periods are the most common cause in women of childbearing age. Pregnancy raises your need for iron sharply, and in pregnancy a lack of iron in your diet is the usual cause. Bleeding in the stomach or bowel is another common cause. Regular use of anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin, stomach ulcers, inflammation of the bowel or food pipe and piles can all lead to slow blood loss. Less often, the cause is a cancer of the bowel or stomach, which is why your GP may ask for a stool test if the reason for your low iron is not clear. ## The Blood Test to Ask For Your GP will usually start with a full blood count, a test that shows whether your number of red blood cells is normal. Ask whether your ferritin was checked too. Ferritin measures the iron your body has in storage, and stores can run low well before your haemoglobin drops. You can feel the effects of low iron while your full blood count still looks normal. NHS Scotland guidance treats a ferritin level below 30 micrograms per litre as iron depletion and a level below 12 as stores that have run out. If you have symptoms and your result sits close to these numbers, ask your GP what it means for you. ## Foods That Raise Your Iron Levels Eat more of these: - dark green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale - breakfast cereals and bread with added iron - red meat - dried apricots, prunes and raisins - beans, peas and lentils Iron from plants is harder for your body to absorb than iron from meat. Pair plant foods with vitamin C, such as a glass of orange juice, peppers or citrus fruit, to help your body take more of it in. Tea, coffee, milk and wholegrain cereals high in phytic acid all reduce how much iron you absorb. You do not need to give them up. Drink tea and coffee between meals rather than with them. ## Iron Tablets and Treatment If your blood test shows iron deficiency anaemia, your GP will usually recommend iron tablets for about six months, along with treating the cause, such as heavy periods. Taking the tablets with or soon after food reduces side effects such as constipation, stomach pain, heartburn and nausea. Dark stools are a normal effect of iron tablets. Do not start high-dose iron supplements without a blood test. Too much iron can be harmful, and an overdose can be fatal for a young child, so keep tablets well out of reach. ## When to See a GP Book an appointment if you recognise several of these signs, if your periods are heavy or if your tiredness has lasted for weeks. Untreated iron deficiency anaemia weakens your immune system and can lead to complications that affect your heart, including a fast heartbeat and heart failure. In pregnancy, it raises the risk of complications before and after birth. If tiredness is your main complaint, our guide to [managing fatigue](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/managing-fatigue-signs-and-scientific-insights) covers the other common causes and what helps. ## FAQ **Q: How much iron per day does a woman need?** The NHS recommends 14.8mg of iron a day for women aged 19 to 50 and 8.7mg a day for women over 50. Women who still have periods after 50 may need the higher amount. Most women can meet this through a varied diet that includes meat, pulses, leafy greens and fortified cereals. Women with heavy periods are at higher risk of deficiency and may need supplements on a GP's advice. **Q: Can iron deficiency cause hair loss?** Yes. Hair loss is a recognised symptom of iron deficiency, and you may notice more hair coming out when you brush or wash it. When iron runs short, your body directs it to vital organs before hair follicles. Hair usually recovers once iron levels return to normal, though regrowth can take several months. A blood test that includes ferritin can show whether low iron is the cause. **Q: Can iron deficiency cause weight gain?** Iron deficiency is not a recognised direct cause of weight gain. The tiredness it brings can leave you moving less, which can affect your weight over time. Unexplained weight gain alongside fatigue can have other causes, including an underactive thyroid, so it is worth asking your GP to check both. **Q: What are the 3 stages of iron deficiency?** The first stage is iron depletion, when your stored iron, measured as ferritin, falls but your blood count stays normal. The second stage is iron-deficient red blood cell production, when your body no longer has enough iron to make healthy red blood cells. The third stage is iron deficiency anaemia, when your haemoglobin drops below the normal range and symptoms usually become stronger. **Q: Can iron deficiency cause high blood pressure?** Iron deficiency is not a recognised cause of high blood pressure. It can make your heart beat faster and harder, and you may feel this as palpitations. If you have palpitations, shortness of breath or chest pain, see a GP, and seek urgent help for chest pain.