Ozempic Hair Loss: What You Need to Know

New data

Trend drug promotes hair loss

Medications like Ozempic help many people fight obesity. But if you use them, you may not only lose weight, but also hair.

The number of people who are very overweight (obesity) is increasing rapidly. More than a billion people worldwide are affected. It is therefore hardly surprising that anti-obesity medications, also known colloquially as weight loss injections, are extremely popular.

However, the medications can also have side effects. The so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are intended to suppress appetite and help you lose weight, can also significantly increase the risk of hair loss. This is shown by a new study from the USA, which was recently presented at this year’s congress of the European Academy of Dermatology.

The analysis includes data from over half a million patients who received at least two prescriptions for so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists between 2014 and 2024. These include the well-known active ingredients semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic), liraglutide (Saxenda), dulaglutide (Trulicity) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro).

Researchers compared the risk of different types of hair loss in GLP-1 users and people who did not take these medications. The result:

Study author Yagiz Matthew Akiska from George Washington University explains: “Hair loss is a common side effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists.” For many patients, this is important to know as they try to lose weight, care about their appearance and want to control their diabetes. If hair loss also occurs, it can put a lot of strain on these people.

“We should think about more proactive strategies to minimize risks and advise patients who want to take these drugs for weight loss or diabetes,” he adds.

The doctor Michael Buontempo from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in the USA explains to “Medscape Medical News” that the medication is probably not the only thing responsible for the hair loss. Rather, rapid weight loss plays a central role. This acts as a stress factor and throws the hair roots out of balance. Many hair follicles then switch to the resting phase prematurely and fall out. The diffuse hair loss then “unmasks” the hereditary androgenetic alopecia, which was simply not visible before.

The good thing: According to Buontempo, this type of hair loss is reversible in most cases – that is, the hair grows back after a few months as soon as the body weight has stabilized. It is important to talk to a doctor and not to stop treatment too quickly.

He also recommends consciously slowing down weight loss, eating a balanced diet and checking for possible nutritional deficiencies. Iron deficiency, too little protein or a vitamin D deficiency can also promote hair loss. If symptoms persist, agents such as minoxidil (for example as an application solution) can also help to stimulate hair growth, says Buontempo.