Name: Ferritin face.<\/p>\n
Age: The name is new, but the symptoms are old.<\/p>\n
Symptoms: Pallor, dull skin, dark circles under your eyes. Looking washed out, basically.<\/p>\n
What are you, a mirror? Oh no, does this describe you? Do you also have ferritin face?<\/p>\n
Aren\u2019t those just symptoms for \u201clooking tired\u201d? Is this one of those social media health scares with little to no scientific basis? No! I mean, yes, the term has recently become very popular on social media, as reported in the Washington Post<\/a>. Ferritin face is not a real medical term (nor are there consistent criteria that define it) \u2013 but ferritin at least is definitely a thing.<\/p>\n Tell me about ferritin, then. It\u2019s a complex globular protein that stores iron in the body in its inactive form. If you have low ferritin levels, it could indicate an iron deficiency.<\/p>\n And what happens if I have an iron deficiency? If it is severe and goes untreated for long enough, it could lead to tachycardia, breathlessness, chest pain and heart complications.<\/p>\n This is terrible! How can I cure myself? Well, earlier this summer, Allure magazine wrote a long piece entitled What It Means to Have \u201cFerritin Face\u201d<\/a>, calling iron deficiency an epidemic that women are prone to. It had plenty of advice.<\/p>\n Like what? Tell me now, before my dark circles kill me! It can often be overcome with a change of diet, as meat and green leafy vegetables are a good source. But you can also just go and have an intravenous iron infusion.<\/p>\n An IV it is! Be warned that, according to a leading iron infusion clinic, it could cost you in the region of \u00a3800.<\/p>\n Cabbage! Someone get me a cabbage! Alternatively, you could stop crapping your pants at every social media health scare. You should never diagnose and treat yourself via TikTok clips.<\/p>\n OK, fine. Think it about it sensibly. There is a vast difference between ferritin face and actual anaemia. Anaemia doesn\u2019t just make you pale and tired-looking; it can leave you fatigued and breathless, with headaches, dizziness, palpitations and a loss of concentration being common symptoms.<\/p>\n