A new social media trend has been taking the platforms by storm as people talk about ‘ferritin face’.
No, that’s not where you grow whiskers and start chasing after rabbits like a ferret, but is more to do with iron levels in your body.
‘Ferritin face’ is not a medical diagnosis, but the trend has led to more people talking about how they have it and what they do to stop it.
According to the social media trend ‘ferritin face’ is due to low levels of ferritin in the body, with ferritin being a kind of protein which stores iron in the body.
So the trend has it that ‘ferritin face’ is linked to a deficiency in iron in the body, though again ‘ferritin face’ is not a recognised health condition in itself.
Videos on the trend show people pointing out dark circles under their eyes, having brittle hair, as well as particularly pale skin.
While the condition itself may be a trend, ferritin levels can be linked to an iron deficiency.
The trend has been going viral on social media (Press Association)
Dr Mohammad Bakhtiar is a GP at Medical Express Clinic in London, and shared some information about the role that ferritin plays in the body.
“Ferritin is the complex protein that stores iron in the body,” said 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.”
But what can an iron deficiency in the body actually look like?
“Low iron or iron-deficiency anaemia can present with symptoms like a pale face, tiredness and a lack of energy,” said Bakhtiar. “Lesions around the lips might also indicate low iron.”
He added: “Weight loss and hair loss are also signs that might suggest you need to get your blood haemoglobin levels checked.”
However, while these symptoms are linked to an iron deficiency it’s important to note that they are also associated with other conditions as well, so if you are experiencing them it’s important to speak to a doctor to figure out exactly why you are having these symptoms before looking at treatment.
“These symptoms could be caused by something else,” said Bakhtiar. “For example, a viral infection, pain or a chronic disease can all affect paleness.”
He added: “However, if a patient is presenting with all these symptoms, a doctor will probably want to exclude anaemia and an iron deficiency first.”
Ferritin is a hormone which is linked to iron levels in the body (Press Association)
Bakhtiar went on to explain the individuals who are most at risk from symptoms associated with iron deficiency.
“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.
He went on to compare having anaemia to not having much money, explaining that if this is the case then ‘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,” said the GP. “You either lose blood somewhere, or your bone marrow isn’t making much blood.”
If you are worried about your iron levels then Bakhtiar explained that it’s important to get checked out.
“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,” he said.
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