Female Hair Loss

Female Hair Loss Blood Test

Understand the root causes of hair thinning and shedding with our comprehensive Female Hair Loss Blood Test. While genetics can play a role, many cases are linked to treatable underlying conditions — and knowing the cause is the first step towards improving hair health.

This test analyses key biomarkers such as thyroid function, iron levels, vitamin B12, inflammation markers, and red blood cell health to identify issues like anaemia, nutritional deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances that may be affecting healthy hair growth.

By testing these markers, we aim to provide clarity and reassurance. Many causes of shedding and thinning can be improved with straightforward lifestyle adjustments or supplements. You don’t have to live with unexplained hair loss — answers and treatment options could be closer than you think.

Choose to take the test at home with our easy finger-prick kit or visit one of our nationwide clinics. All samples are processed in our accredited UK lab, with results delivered quickly, securely, and privately.

By uncovering what’s happening beneath the surface, we help you take control of your hair health and take confident steps towards fuller, healthier hair.

If you’re not sure exactly what you need, we advise all our clients to consult with a GP or one of our Registered Nutritionists before taking any blood tests. However, below you can find more information about this panel, and we hope it will help.

IS THE FEMALE HAIR LOSS BLOOD TEST RIGHT FOR YOU?

You are worried about an underlying medical cause of your hair loss?

Hair loss can be extremely distressing and many people are interested to know how they can slow or prevent it.

Whilst hair loss often runs in families, if you are worried that nutritional deficiencies or hormone imbalances may be causing your hair loss, this test will allow you to check. 

Our Female Hair Loss Blood Test gives you clarity on what's happening internally so you and your doctor can make informed decisions about the next steps. Regaining control over your hair wellness with One Day Tests.

SYMPTOMS AND TAGS

Hair loss and Women

1. Fill out the contact form on the main page
2. Choose your preferred panel
3. Select between a Home Kit (via post), a Clinic Appointment, or VIP service
4. Make the payment online.
5. We'll contact you to arrange a clinic appointment or a VIP service and email you with your home kit delivery details.

Not sure which panel or test is right for you? Reach out to one of our Registered Nutritionists  

COLLECTION OPTIONS

1. VIP: Home/Office/Hotel visit by our phlebotomist – Available in London UK only (1-3 days)
2. Clinic visit (24+ UK locations, 1-3 days)
3. At-home kit (3-6 days)

VIP Phlebotomist Visit (London Only):

Perfect for busy individuals or corporate teams.

• Available across London.
• Once payment is received, our team will contact you to arrange your appointment — usually the same day if booked before 10 am, or the next day if later.
• Additional patients beyond 10 are charged £25 each, invoiced after the visit.
• Please select the total number of blood tests at checkout so our phlebotomist can bring the right equipment.
• Your blood will be collected by a trained phlebotomist and delivered directly to our lab for fast, accurate results.

In-Clinic Appointment:

Quick, professional, and convenient.

• Same or next working day appointment.
• We’ll contact you within 60 minutes of booking to arrange your visit.
• Your blood will be collected by a trained phlebotomist and sent directly to our lab for fast, accurate results.
• Choose your nearest clinic and skip the wait. (Check Locations)

Home Kit:

Test from the comfort of your home — anywhere in mainland UK.

• Everything you need to collect your sample in about 15 minutes.
• Return it to our lab via Prepaid Royal Mail  Tracked 24.

Free replacement kit if anything goes wrong or more blood is needed — so you can order with confidence.

• Take this test early in the morning
• Ideally, stop combined hormonal contraception for a time and use barrier methods instead
• Take the test between days 2 and 5 of your cycle (where day 1 is the first day of your period). If you don't have periods, take the test at any time
• If you take biotin supplements, stop taking these for 72 hours before the test
• Take this test after any symptoms of short-term illness have settled

Clinic appointment - how to prepare for the Female Hair Loss Blood Test

If you are coming into one of our clinics for the test, this is what you need to do before you arrive:

• Read the instructions in the SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS section
• Drink plenty of water about an hour before the appointment.
• Avoid coffee/tea/energy drinks. Water is good!
• That’s it! We’ll do the rest.

Home test kit - how it works with the Female Hair Loss Blood Test

Our blood test kits are simple and convenient.

The most important step in doing a blood test at home is to read the instructions very carefully. The process is very simple, but there are a few pitfalls you need to be aware of - you will save yourself a lot of time if you do it right the first time around!

• Full printed instructions will arrive with your kit - please read them carefully.
• Drink plenty before taking the sample and warm your hands up in the sink with warm water for a few minutes. This will make your blood flow much better.
• Fill the tubes to the top line. We don’t need much blood; filling tubes to the top line is about 15 drops of blood.
• Post the samples on the same day you take them, before midday, Monday to Thursday. If you post it any other time it might get to us late or be stuck at a sorting office over the weekend. You will then have to do it again.
• Package the sample in the same box the kit came in. Otherwise, Royal Mail or DPD will reject it. The sample tubes go into a pouch, then into a cardboard box, and then into a return envelope. All of this is provided in the kit: please use it.

We look forward to receiving your sample in our lab!

1. FULL BLOOD COUNT

- White Blood Cell Count (WBC)
- Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)
- Haemoglobin (HGB)
- Hematocrit (HCT)
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH)
- Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
- Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)
- Platelets* (PLT)
- Mean Platelet Volume* (MPV)
- Lymphocytes* (LYM)
- Monocytes* (MON)
- Neutrophils* (NEU)
- Eosinophils* (EOS)
- Basophils* (BAS)

2. EXCLUSIONS *

Markers with *symbol are not reported in Capillary/Home kit samples.

Platelets (PLT) - may not be reported in capillary samples if clots are present.

We always recommend a venous clinic sample for this test.

3. THYROID FUNCTION

- Unbound thyroxine (Free T4)
- Unbound triiodothyronine (Free T3)
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

4. HORMONES

- Prolactin
- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
- Testosterone
- Free Androgen Index (FAI)

5. MICRONUTRIENTS

- Vitamin B-12
- Ferritin

6. INFLAMMATION

- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

We always encourage you to visit one of our Clinique for any of our blood tests.

HOME KIT VIA ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 24

This service costs additional £19.00 and includes:

Available everywhere in mainland UK.

Includes everything you need to take a safe and suitable blood sample in about 15 minutes.

Post the sample back to our laboratory via Royal Mail Tracked 24.

CLINIC APPOINTMENT - SAME OR NEXT WORKING DAY

This service costs additional £38.00 and includes:

• No waiting. We will call you within 2 hours to book your appointment for the same day when purchased before 10am or following day if later than 10am.
• Quick blood collection from your vein, by our professional phlebotomist.
• Blood transported directly to our laboratory - for quick and accurate results.

No Home Kit available for this panel.

 EXCLUSIONS *

Markers with *symbol are not reported in Capillary/Home kit samples.

Platelets (PLT) - may not be reported in capillary samples if clots are present.

We always recommend a venous clinic sample for this test.

We are extremely fast, with some results available within hours and others within a working day or less, from the time your sample is in our lab. However, this is not a guarantee and should not be taken as such. This is the guideline turnaround time that can be shorter or longer.

THIS IS NOT A GUARANTEED TURNAROUND TIME. 

We are extremely proud of our very short turnaround times and very efficient laboratory processes; you will receive your results as soon as they are available and have completed clinical validation.

Whilst we accommodate the shortest time scales, with some results available within hours, for some tests the turnaround time is 1-3 working days.

DR. ADAM STATEN - GP VIEW AND RED FLAG SYMPTOMS

Although hair loss is common, it is often very distressing. There are a number of conditions that can cause or worsen hair loss, some of which are very straightforward to treat.

Firstly, we check for hormonal causes of hair loss. We test thyroid function because an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss.

Sometimes hair loss in women occurs when the ovaries produce too much testosterone, a condition known as ‘androgen excess’ which commonly occurs in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The Free Androgen Index (FAI) tests for androgen excess. As it measures your level of biologically active testosterone, FAI is a better test than simply measuring testosterone.

We also test for the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that is best known for its role in stimulating breast milk production but chronically raised levels of prolactin have been implicated in hair loss in some studies.

A number of nutritional deficiencies can cause hair loss and so we test your levels of iron (through the marker ferritin) and vitamin B12. These deficiencies are common and easily treated.

We check the inflammatory marker CRP to help exclude autoimmune conditions and to make sure we can accurately interpret your ferritin which can be artificially raised in inflammatory conditions.

Lastly, we check your full blood count which is a good marker of your general health and will also check to see if you are anaemic, which can occur if you are deficient in iron or B12.

Red flag symptoms for the Female Hair Loss Blood Test

Even if your blood tests are normal, you should see a doctor if you have any of the symptoms below because they may be a sign of serious underlying illness:

• Rapid and widespread hair loss, particularly if this affects parts of your body other than your scalp
• Scarring at the site of the hair loss
• You feel generally unwell and are losing hair

Can this test diagnose me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?

A raised Free Androgen Index (FAI) may be suggestive of PCOS but this test can’t properly diagnose PCOS.

The diagnosis is usually made by looking at your symptoms, performing a scan of your ovaries, as well as checking the blood tests.

Can a blood test rule out female pattern hair loss?

No, a standard blood test cannot definitively rule out female pattern hair loss on its own. Female pattern hair loss, also known as female androgenetic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss in women and is often genetic in nature.

While blood tests can help uncover conditions that may exacerbate hair loss, like thyroid disorders, anaemia, or nutrient deficiencies, they have limitations in diagnosing female pattern hair loss specifically. A combination of clinical assessment, blood work and scalp examination is optimal.

Can I see a GP to discuss my Results?

Yes, usually the same or next day.

Our fantastic partner clinical team of consultants and GPs. Once you have your results, you can book an online video consultation to discuss your results.

Our clinical team consists of practicing NHS and private GPs, who work closely with our laboratory and can tell you what your blood test results mean for you. Having an integrated laboratory and GP services makes your health journey seamless and extremely efficient.

This service is not included in the price of the test, it is charged separately, should you wish to book it.

Will I have a general explanation of my results?

Yes, our doctors put a huge amount of effort into your online Health Dashboard, which will have explanations of what each biomarker is, the normal reference ranges and what it means if you are outside of them.

QUICK AND ACCURATE RESULTS DIRECT FROM THE LABORATORY.

We partner with regulated laboratories and accredited clinics that manufacture their own approved home sample collection kits. Your results are looked after by our fantastic clinical governance team and a super-talented biomedical science team.

When you book your test with us - you book directly with the lab. This means accuracy and responsible duty of care, direct access to the provider and extremely fast turnaround times.