How to Keep Your Hair Healthy on a GLP-1

Are you losing weight on a GLP-1 medication — and also losing hair?

But hair shedding related to GLP-1 medications for obesity or type 2 diabetes — including semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) — usually doesn’t last, experts say. And there are several ways to manage it while protecting hair health.

When people on GLP-1s lose hair, the cause is likely to be the stress that rapid or significant weight loss can put on the body, explains Reema Dbouk, MD, an assistant professor at the Emory University School of Medicine and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society.

“Hair follicles are very sensitive to changes in nutrition, metabolism, and overall health,” says Dr. Dbouk, and this can “temporarily shift resources away from hair growth.”

The medical term for this is telogen effluvium, explains Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a San Francisco–based dermatologist who specializes in hair disorders and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Along with telogen effluvium you can also have hair loss related to genetics, hormones, or inflammation, says Kseniya Kobets, MD, the director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in Elmsford, New York.

Hair loss from GLP-1s can be different for everyone, Dbouk says: “Some people notice mild thinning, while others experience more dramatic shedding.”

Hair loss related to taking GLP-1s is typically temporary. Usually, when weight loss and nutrition stabilize, shedding slows and hair density returns to baseline, Dbouk says.

But it could take six months for shedding to settle, and up to a year for hair density to noticeably recover, Kobets says.

In the meantime, there are ways to keep your hair healthy and looking its best.

Certain nutrients support healthy hair, including protein. Dbouk says you should be diligent about getting all the protein you need if you take a GLP-1.

You also need an adequate amount of iron, vitamin D, and zinc, as deficiencies in these vitamins and minerals are associated with hair shedding.

As for hair vitamins and supplements, experts advise giving these a pass without input from a doctor or registered dietitian. There is no solid proof that these products work as advertised, plus excessive intake of certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A or zinc, could actually contribute to hair loss.

On the other hand, supplements may be appropriate “when there is a documented deficiency, a strongly suspected nutritional gap, or difficulty meeting nutritional needs through food while taking a GLP-1,” Kobets said.

“Keep it simple,” McMillan says. How you care for and style your hair won’t necessarily stop telogen effluvium, but it can protect the hair you have. Here are some tips.

• Wash regularly. McMillan says people often attribute their hair shedding to washing, but shampooing isn’t to blame. Any hair that falls out while washing is already in the shedding process. Regular hair washing is essential for scalp health, as it prevents the buildup of oil, dirt, and debris.
• Use a conditioner. Apply it to the hair lengths to maintain volume without weighing it down. Use a wide-tooth comb while the conditioner is in your hair to detangle it.
• Towel dry gently. Don’t aggressively rub wet hair with a towel.
• Limit heat styling. Minimize using straighteners or curling irons to help preserve hair as your follicles work through a shedding cycle and prevent hair damage and breakage.
• Avoid tight hair styles. Skip ponytails, buns, braids, or extensions that pull on hair follicles.
• Treat scalp problems. Itching, dandruff, and scalp inflammation can increase stress and stunt hair growth. Talk to your doctor if these symptoms persist.

When hair loss becomes distressing, don’t panic and stop taking your GLP-1. Perhaps the solution is for your doctor to decrease the amount of medication you’re taking so you’re losing weight less quickly and putting less stress on your body.

“Patients usually do not need to stop a medically beneficial GLP-1 solely because of temporary shedding, but the prescribing clinician may need to reassess the pace of weight loss, calorie intake, and medication dose,” Kobets says

Doctors may also want to evaluate you for other potential causes of hair loss, including an iron deficiency, thyroid disease, nutritional insufficiency, hormonal changes, or autoimmune disorder.

It’s especially important to see a doctor if your hair shedding is accompanied by other symptoms, including:

• Patchiness
• Scalp pain, itching, redness, scaling or scarring
• Fatigue
• Hair loss that’s rapid or progressive, or involves a large portion of the scalp

Doctors can recommend treatments, such as topical or low-dose oral minoxidil to help with hair growth and to regulate the hair cycle, Mirmirani says. Other medications can include finasteride, Kobets adds, and procedures such as platelet-rich plasma may be considered, too.