Yes, You May Lose Hair on a GLP-1 Medication—Here’s Why

06.03.2026, 19:36 allure.com

If any medication—or rather, movement—has defined health and wellness over the past few years, GLP-1 agonists are irrefutably it. These drugs—which include Wegovy and Ozempic (brand names for semaglutide) as well as Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide)—mimic a naturally occurring hormone to help reduce your appetite and manage blood sugar. This has made them game changers in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

As GLP-1 use has become more mainstream, so have conversations about the side effects. This doesn’t just include well-known ones like nausea but also some that might feel more unexpected. Exhibit A: Creators on social media have started documenting what they believe is hair loss associated with GLP-1 use. Some TikTok videos about the topic have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

Research about this GLP-1 side effect is still limited, but that doesn’t mean it’s all in people’s heads. One recent study review noted that excess hair shedding is a problem a number of GLP-1 patients face, but further study is needed to understand why. Some experts suspect it’s tied to the rapid weight loss patients experience rather than the drugs themselves, while others wonder if the medications are to blame. The jury is still out, but there does seem to be some connection—even drugmakers have acknowledged it. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy medication guides, for example, note that a small number of participants experienced hair loss during clinical trials.

Beyond controlled research environments, doctors are seeing this firsthand in their practices. Sara Perkins, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, says her patients on GLP-1s are talking about hair loss more and more frequently during appointments these days. “I suspect this reflects both the sheer number of patients on these medications and also the heightened awareness of hair loss on GLP-1s online and in the media,” she notes.

Of course, these concerns are not just about hair; they’re about self-identity: A 2025 study suggests that hair loss can have major psychological impacts, including depression and anxiety. But if you’re feeling down about a shrinking ponytail or thinning hairline, know there are ways to potentially improve the situation. Here, learn why you could lose hair on a GLP-1 and how to combat the shedding.

It's only been 20 years since GLP-1 medications got FDA approval for diabetes, and their approval for weight management is even more recent. So scientists and doctors are still figuring out why some people report hair loss while taking them. Plus, Dr. Perkins says, “hair loss itself is complex and often multifactorial. We don’t yet have a single, definitive mechanism to explain why some patients experience shedding while taking these drugs.”

Despite the uncertainties, all the experts interviewed for this article agreed that a couple of theories are a bit more developed than others. Here’s a breakdown of what’s potentially going on.

When you lose weight quickly, with or without a GLP-1, your body perceives it as stress and starts shutting down processes that aren’t 100 percent critical for keeping you alive, such as hair growth, says Eric Nolen-Doerr, MD, an endocrinologist and weight-management specialist at Boston Medical Center. This temporary form of hair shedding is called telogen effluvium and can happen any time the body undergoes significant physiological or psychological strain. Rapid weight loss qualifies, as do other changes that can occur with GLP-1 therapy, including major hormonal shifts, Dr. Perkins says.

During this time more hair follicles than usual enter the resting (telogen) phase of the hair cycle, leading to “noticeable shedding a few months later,” Dr. Perkins says. (FWIW, this is the same reason people lose hair after having a baby: The stress of birth, particularly the hormone changes, triggers shedding.) You normally lose anywhere from 50 to 150 hairs per day, and with telogen effluvium that amount can double.

Experts theorize that the risk of hair loss while taking a GLP-1 could hinge on how much weight you lose and how rapidly you lose it—two factors that can increase the stress on your body. Wegovy clinical trials found that hair loss occurred more frequently among patients who lost over 20 percent of their weight in about a year and a half on the medication; it was less common in those who lost less weight. “It’s possible that differences in dose, degree of appetite suppression, and the amount or speed of weight loss—rather than the specific drug itself—play a larger role in whether hair shedding occurs,” says Dr. Perkins, who was not involved in the trials. But ultimately, she says, more controlled studies are needed to determine whether “meaningful differences exist among individual GLP-1 therapies.”

One of the ways GLP-1s work is by making you less hungry. One 2025 study suggests that the average person taking a GLP-1 medication will consume upwards of 700 fewer calories per day than they would otherwise. Yes, this can lead to weight loss, but it can also have unintended consequences. “Eating significantly less can contribute to deficiencies in nutrients important for hair growth, such as iron, zinc, and protein, which may further exacerbate shedding,” points out Dr. Perkins.

This sentiment is echoed by Anthony E. Oro, MD, PhD, a professor of dermatology and associate director of the Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine at Stanford University. He says, “With iron and vitamin D deficiencies, the hair senses that the materials to make the hair are not coming in, and so it goes, ‘Whoa!’” The result? Less new hair growth and more hair loss, leading to a less full look.

If you start to see more strands coming out with each shower you might be inclined to tamp down on regular flatironing or bleaching to quell the process. Granted, it’s pretty much always a good idea to cut back on heat or color since it can negatively impact your hair health. But avoiding those things won’t do much to stop any shedding associated with GLP-1s, says Dr. Oro. Simply put, changing up your styling routine won’t address the underlying cause of your hair loss.

That said, the key (and hopeful) thing about hair loss associated with GLP-1s is that it’s generally temporary. Your hair will likely grow back once your weight steadies out. “The active hair shedding I see eventually stops for a majority of patients and then begins to recover,” says Dr. Nolen-Doerr.

But your strands won’t magically reappear overnight; there will be a waiting period, which can feel especially drawn out for people with more length. Although everyone’s hair grows at slightly different rates, for those with longer styles, it can take more than just a few months to feel like you’re getting back to where you started, Dr. Nolen-Doerr says.

Nevertheless, all three doctors agreed that while hair shedding might be inevitable for some folks on GLP-1 medications, there are steps you can take to try to reduce shedding. For one thing ,bring up your concerns with your doctor—and be honest. Hair is highly personal, and how your hair thinning colors your feelings about any weight loss you’ve experienced is personal too. “Maybe it’s an opportunity to have a discussion about maybe slowing down on the weight loss, maybe holding at a lower dose of the medication to give the body time to adjust,” Dr. Nolen-Doerr suggests.

These are some other things you can try as well.

Given that you’ll likely be consuming much fewer calories on a GLP-1, it’s possible that your diet could be contributing to your hair loss. To see where your diet might be lacking, ask your health care provider to run some tests to check whether you’re coming up short on any vital nutrients. For any deficiencies you do have, your doctor can recommend diet changes or supplements to help you get back on track.

If you’re not able to get testing, simply prioritizing a balanced diet can go a long way. For one, Dr. Nolen-Doerr suggests making sure you’re getting enough protein. There are lots of recommendations floating around about how much protein to eat, so focusing on making lean protein a consistent part of your diet might be more helpful than aiming for a specific number. Beyond that, he says eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fruits will give you “the biggest bang for your buck” in terms of maximizing nutrient intake with a smaller intake of food.

In terms of supplements that haven’t been explicitly recommended by your doctor, proceed with caution. Dr. Perkins says that although some of her patients report seeing benefits from over-the-counter hair-growth supplements, the data on their efficacy is mixed. “I personally tend to view supplements as adjuncts rather than standalone treatments,” she says. Also keep in mind that the FDA does not review supplements the same way it does medications, meaning companies can often get away with boasting benefits without the real science to back them up. The only hair-growth supplement that dermatologists have consistently recommended to Allure is Nutrafol, which does have placebo-controlled, double-blind clinicals to support its claims.

While nothing can make your hair grow back overnight, minoxidil, a popular hair-loss treatment, can help get things moving , Dr. Oro says. The topical form is commonly sold under the brand name Rogaine, which is available over the counter, so you don’t need a prescription. It comes in a foam or liquid solution that you apply to your scalp, and any side effects tend to be pretty mild. Itching and skin rash are among the most common.

Minoxidil is also available in pill form, and dermatologists often prescribe it off-label to regrow hair. (Off-label refers to an unapproved use of an FDA-approved drug.) Many doctors believe that when oral minoxidil is taken under a health care provider’s guidance, it’s safe for most people to use for hair growth. However, it can cause chest pain and cardiovascular side