Is ‘ferritin face’ a real thing – and can you really spot low iron from looks?

• Social media claims about identifying iron deficiency from facial appearance ('ferritin face') lack scientific evidence and should not guide clinical assessment
• Iron deficiency diagnosis requires appropriate haematological investigation (serum ferritin, iron studies, FBC) rather than reliance on physical appearance or patient self-diagnosis
• Clinicians should address health misinformation with patients who may present with concerns based on viral social media content, whilst maintaining focus on evidence-based diagnostic criteria

Videos in which people claim to spot the signs of low iron have attracted millions of views online.

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