You may have heard that there is an association between hair loss and taking Wegovy or similar drugs for weight management. However, in medical science, “correlation” does not necessarily mean “causation.” In other words, rather than directly caused by the medication, there could be other reasons that the few overweight people using Wegovy are also losing their hair.
Wegovy is a powerful drug for weight loss. While it is providing astonishing weight loss results for thousands of patients, like any drug, Wegovy has some potential side effects. Most of the side effects of Wegovy have to do with gastrointestinal distress, such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea.
While it is NOT listed as one of the possible side effects of Wegovy, during the FDA-approval trials of the drug, 3% of patients experienced hair loss in the Wegovy group, as opposed to only 1% in the placebo group. Such a small number of participants reporting hair loss was not significant enough per FDA guidelines for it to be listed as one of the Wegovy side effects.
However, it did occur, if even to a small degree, and since the Wegovy clinical trials, there also have been additional anecdotal reports of hair loss among users. So, do you need to be concerned about Wegovy and hair loss? Let’s take a closer look.
Does Wegovy Really Cause Hair Loss?
While it was reported during the Wegovy clinical trials, there is actually little or no evidence that taking Wegovy directly caused hair loss in those participants or anyone else who has reported thinning hair while on the drug.
More likely, what these people are experiencing is a recognized medical condition that links rapid weight loss of any kind to hair loss, known as telogen effluvium. The condition is most likely caused by the stress and hormonal changes that occur as your body sheds a lot of pounds in a short period of time, as occurs when taking Wegovy.
It is almost always temporary, and it tends to cease once your system adjusts to your new body composition. Then, your hair starts to regrow as normal. Hair loss related to telogen effluvium usually starts about three months after your initial drop in weight, and it tends to go away on its own over a few weeks to months.
To understand this kind of weight loss-related hair loss, it is important to understand how your hair grows and sheds in the first place. Your hair normally goes through cycles of repeated growth and loss. During the growth phases, the hair follicles are stimulated by certain hormones to grow hair. During the rest phases, other hormones tell your hair to stop growing, and your old hair sheds. Then, the follicle goes back into a growth phase. Hormonal changes and other issues that can accompany hair loss on drugs like Wegovy can cause the follicles to “get stuck” in the resting phase, and this is what causes the temporary hair loss we have described as “telogen effluvium.”
Hormones and, in particular, stress hormones play a factor in telogen effluvium. Cortisol is a stress hormone; when you lose weight rapidly, it is not uncommon for your body to experience stress until it gets used to the changes brought on by dropping a lot of weight. One of the reactions to that stress could be an increase in cortisol levels. Increases in cortisol is known to cause telogen effluvium — that state when your hair follicles go into a resting phase, followed by shedding.
It is important to point out that the telogen effluvium effect is not unique to weight loss drugs like Wegovy but can and does occur almost anytime the body is put under the stress of extreme and rapid weight loss. For example, similar instances of hair loss have been reported after bariatric surgery and other medical weight loss interventions.
To sum it up, hair loss related to the use of Wegovy is quite rare. It is so uncommon indeed that it was not required to be listed as a side effect in the drug’s prescribing information or insert.
Does Mounjaro Cause Hair Loss?
Muounjaro is a similar drug to Wegovy, but it contains a different active ingredient. On November 8, 2023, it has just been approved by the FDA for weight loss. However, Mounjaro has been on the market as a type 2 diabetes drug since — Like Wegovy, hair loss is also not listed as an adverse effect in the package insert for Mounjaro. However, also like Wegovy, a clinical study from 2022 reported that hair loss occurred in 4.9% to 5.7% of people using a 5 mg to 15 mg dose of Mounjaro, compared to 0.9% of those using the placebo.
Doctors and researchers conclude that any hair loss associated with Mounjaro is due to the same impacts of telogen effluvium described above with Wegovy.
Does Ozempic Cause Hair Loss?
Ozempic shares the same active ingredient with Wegovy – semaglutide. Interestingly enough, unlike Wegovy, hair loss or alopecia was not reported as a side effect in the Ozempic approval studies, which is a pretty clear indication that semaglutide does not directly cause hair loss, but it is the associated hormonal and other bodily changes mentioned earlier.
Hair loss, therefore, is also not listed as a potential side effect in Ozempic’s insert; however, as with Wegovy and Mounjaro, it has been reported by some people using the medicine. But once again, this is a quite rare occurrence and most likely unrelated to the drug itself.
How to Prevent Hair Loss
So, what is the bottom line? Is it possible that you may temporarily lose some hair while on Wegovy? Yes, it is possible. But telogen effluvium, caused by weight loss, is uncommon, temporary and reversible. In addition, if you are really concerned about it, there are ways you can keep your hair healthy and lower the risk of hair loss while taking drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, or Mounjaro.
Because you eat less when you are taking Wegovy or related drugs, it is possible that your hair is not getting the proper nutrients it needs to stay healthy and strong. Making sure to eat healthy and nutritious meals while you are eating less and/or taking a daily multivitamin-multimineral may help prevent telogen effluvium.
In addition to eating right or taking supplements, while on Wegovy, be gentle to your hair, avoid shampooing with harsh chemicals, and avoid dying your hair. Try not to style your hair too often or try a radical new hairstyle during your first few months on Wegovy because this can stress your hair. Speaking of stress, try to moderate your cortisol levels by taking measures to reduce stress, such as deep breathing, yoga meditation, or tai chi.
If you do experience hair loss while on Wegovy, speak to your doctor. He or she can rule out any other cause for your hair loss and also recommend ways to help minimize or reverse the condition so you can achieve your weight loss goals without pulling your hair out!
