If you’re starting to lose your hair, you may want to take a look at getting some labs done for your hair loss.
But, if you’re going to stick yourself with a needle, draw blood and spend a few hundred bucks testing your hair health – you better at least do it right.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why Should You Get Labs For Your Hair Loss?
If you’re starting to lose your hair, there could be a wide variety of reasons from aging to poor overall health to bad nutrition. If you try to treat all causes with the same fixes – you might completely miss the reason you’re losing your hair in the first place.
With that in mind – taking labs for your hair health can help ensure that you’re understanding the specific issue that’s causing the reason for your hair loss in the first place and makes sure you can treat it appropriately.
What Labs Should You Get For Hair Loss?
So if you get your labs done for hair loss, here’s a the run down of what we think you should consider. Obviously run this by your doctor, your lab technician and possibility
For a basic hair panel – Marek with do the following (for men and women). These are primarily tests designed for DHT sensitivity. If you’re considering finasteride (propecia), you should likely consider getting these labs done before you do – so at the very least – you have a baseline of your starting hormonal health.
General Labs For Hair Loss (Basic Panel)
If you want a basic lab for hair loss – here’s what you should be looking for:
DHT:
Total DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (LC/MS)
Free DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (Equilibrium Dialysis)
Testosterone:
Total Testosterone (LC/MS) uncapped
Free Testosterone (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration) uncapped
Estradiol:
Total Estradiol (LC/MS)
Free Estradiol (Equilibrium Dialysis)
Hormone Transport:
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
The Male Labs For Hair Loss (Comprehensive Panel)
DHT:
Total DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (LC/MS)
Free DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (Equilibrium Dialysis)
Sex Hormones:
Total Testosterone (LC/MS) uncapped
Free Testosterone (Equilibrium Ultrafiltration) uncapped
Estradiol, Sensitive / Ultrasensitive (LC/MS)
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Progesterone
Prolactin
Cortisol
Gonadotropins:
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Neurosteroids:
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S)
Pregnenolone
Prostate Health:
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
Thyroid:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOab)
Reverse T3
Growth Hormone/IGF-1:
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-1)
Lipids:
Total Cholesterol
HDL-Cholesterol
LDL-Cholesterol
HDL/LDL Ratio
Triglycerides
ApoB
Lipoprotein(a)
Blood:
Complete Blood Count w/ Differential (Hematocrit; hemoglobin; mean corpuscular volume (MCV); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red cell distribution width (RDW); percentage and absolute differential counts; platelet count (RBC); red cell count; white blood cell count (WBC))
Metabolic:
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (albumin:globulin (A:G) ratio; albumin, serum; alkaline phosphatase, serum; bilirubin, total; BUN:creatinine ratio; calcium, serum; carbon dioxide, total; chloride, serum; globulin, total; potassium, serum; protein, total, serum; sodium, serum)
Insulin Sensitivity:
Blood glucose
Fasting Insulin
HbA1c
Liver Function:
AST
ALT
BUN
Bilirubin, Total
γ-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)
Kidney Function:
Creatinine w/ eGFR
Vitamins:
Vitamin D, 25-OHD (25-Hydroxy)
Magnesium
Iron Panel:
Iron
Transferrin Saturation / Iron Saturation
TIBC
UIBC
Ferritin
Inflammatory Markers:
C-Reactive Protein, High Sensitivity (hsCRP)
Cancer markers:
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
Urinalysis:
Complete Urinalysis (color; appearance; specific gravity; pH; protein; glucose; occult blood; ketones; leukocyte esterase; nitrite; bilirubin; urobilinogen; microscopic examination of urine sediment)
What’s Not Included in these Labs
It’s important to note that these are primarily blood tests. They are not specifically testing anything in your hair.
With that in mind – a hair-specific doctor may also want to run you through a couple labs themselves including:
Hair Pull
A hair pull is a physical test where your doctor actually pulls hairs from your head to determine hair health & integrity.
Scalp Biopsy
A scalp biopsy is a portion of your scalp pulled off and tested under a microscope to analyze what specifically on your scalp may be the cause of your hair loss.
Labs for Hair Loss in Females
When it comes to hair loss in females – while they typically don’t have to worry about male pattern alopecia, you may be concerned with speeding, thinning or other hair concerns.
The same basic lab in the above mention works for men and women – obviously the standardized levels will be different for men vs. women.
The Female Labs For Hair Loss (Comprehensive Panel)
This is the complete rundown of what you’ll get inside the comprehensive hair loss labs for females from Marek.
DHT:
Total DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (LC/MS)
Free DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (Equilibrium Dialysis)
Sex Hormones:
Total Testosterone
Free Testosterone
Estradiol, Sensitive / Ultrasensitive (LC/MS)
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Progesterone
Prolactin
Cortisol
Pregnancy:
hCG Beta subunit, Qual
Gonadotropins:
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Neurosteroids:
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S)
Pregnenolone
Prostate Health:
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
Thyroid:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOab)
Reverse T3
Growth Hormone/IGF-1:
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-1)
Lipids:
Total Cholesterol
HDL-Cholesterol
LDL-Cholesterol
HDL/LDL Ratio
Triglycerides
ApoB
Lipoprotein(a)
Blood:
Complete Blood Count w/ Differential (Hematocrit; hemoglobin; mean corpuscular volume (MCV); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red cell distribution width (RDW); percentage and absolute differential counts; platelet count (RBC); red cell count; white blood cell count (WBC))
Metabolic:
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (albumin:globulin (A:G) ratio; albumin, serum; alkaline phosphatase, serum; bilirubin, total; BUN:creatinine ratio; calcium, serum; carbon dioxide, total; chloride, serum; globulin, total; potassium, serum; protein, total, serum; sodium, serum)
Insulin Sensitivity:
Blood glucose
Fasting Insulin
HbA1c
Liver Function:
AST
ALT
BUN
Bilirubin, Total
γ-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)
Kidney Function:
Creatinine w/ eGFR
Vitamins:
Vitamin D, 25-OHD (25-Hydroxy)
Magnesium
Iron Panel:
Iron
Transferrin Saturation / Iron Saturation
TIBC
UIBC
Ferritin
Inflammatory Markers:
C-Reactive Protein, High Sensitivity (hsCRP)
Urinalysis:
Complete Urinalysis (color; appearance; specific gravity; pH; protein; glucose; occult blood; ketones; leukocyte esterase; nitrite; bilirubin; urobilinogen; microscopic examination of urine sediment)
Where to Get Your Hair Loss Labs Tested
We recommend outlining and securing your labs through Marek Health. There, once you pick your labs and pay for it – you can simply show up to the nearest LabCorp, get the blood drawn and then get your results.
You can also just find a lab corp near you and put together your own selection of items, but the amount of time that you’ll spend digging into this vs. cost savings is probably not worth it.
Speaking of which…
How much will Labs for Hair Loss Cost?
So how much are these labs actually going to cost you when it comes down to it? Great question.
While pricing can vary based on the lab and the draws that you take, based on our above recommendations:
- The Basic Panel will cost $450 including the blood draw.
- The Comprehensive Panel will cost $700 including the blood draw.
Our Recommendation
If you’re going to spend the money, spend the money. For $250 more, you get an entire rundown of your entire bloodwork – so if you’re got the money – go for it.
→ Check our your labs at Marek Health
Other Treatments for Hair Loss
- Dermarolling (check out the derminator 2.0)
- Minoxidil
- Other prescription strength solutions
Other Articles You Might Read
- The Derminator 2.0 Review
- Rogaine for Women
- The Beard Growth Starter Kit
