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“Forget jade rollers, LED masks and salmon sperm facials,” said Chloe Casey, a lecturer in nutrition and behaviour, on The Conversation. The “latest skincare trend” is… a blood test.
That’s the way to investigate “Ferritin face”, which is cropping up all over social media. Posters are claiming that iron deficiency can be seen on your face via symptoms such as dark under-eyes, pale and dry skin, and hair loss.
There is a “kernel” of truth in the observation, but self-diagnosis and self-medication could cause more harm than good.
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Ferritin is a protein that plays a “significant role in the absorption, storage, and release of iron”, said the NHS. Roughly 25% of iron in the body is stored, and the majority of that is ferritin. It is found in many types of cells in the body, but especially in the “liver, spleen, bone marrow, and in reticuloendothelial cells”.
A blood test for ferritin allows you to “get a snapshot of the body’s iron reserves”, said The Guardian. Because iron levels naturally “fluctuate throughout the day”, testing ferritin levels is a “better indicator” of iron deficiency problems such as anaemia, said The Independent.
You are more likely to suffer from low ferritin and iron levels if you are pregnant or suffer heavy periods, though this can also occur as a result of gastrointestinal problems, poor absorption or dietary choices.
Is social media trend harmful?
It’s true that severe iron deficiency can “make someone look pale”, said Casey on The Conversation. But that doesn’t mean that low ferritin levels produce a “distinctive facial appearance. Hormones, bad sleep, stress, dehydration or not eating enough key nutrients can all leave you looking pale and tired.”
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On social media, the “line between medical advice and marketing gets blurry fast”. A message warning of a medical condition is quickly linked to a supplement, “pill or powder” available for purchase. Fundamentally, a “mirror can’t tell you whether your ferritin is low – only a blood test can do that”.
What can you do about it?
A good way to improve iron levels is having a well-balanced diet. Red meat and shellfish contain iron that can be “more readily absorbed”, said Grazia. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, leafy green vegetables and nuts are also rich in iron.
Those at risk of low ferritin should ask for blood tests including a full blood count, a ferritin level check, and tests for levels of B12 and folate, Toby Richards, a surgeon and iron therapy specialist, told The Guardian.
“Taking iron supplements without a diagnosis can be harmful,” said the BBC, and it could “delay the investigation of an underlying problem”.
Will Barker joined The Week team as a staff writer in 2025, covering UK and global news and politics. He previously worked at the Financial Times and The Sun, contributing to the arts and world news desks, respectively. Before that, he achieved a gold-standard NCTJ Diploma at News Associates in Twickenham, with specialisms in media law and data journalism. While studying for his diploma, he also wrote for the South West Londoner, and channelled his passion for sport by reporting for The Cricket Paper. As an undergraduate of Merton College, University of Oxford, Will read English and French, and he also has an M.Phil in literary translation from Trinity College Dublin.
