Hair thinning and loss are related to weight loss medications (Ozempic)
It’s critically important to understand that GLP-1 agonist drugs, in and of themselves, do not cause hair loss. Rather, hair loss can occur due to massive weight loss or fad dieting. Losing a substantial amount of weight can place stress on an individual’s body and lead to nutritional deficiencies, leading them to potentially develop a condition known as telogen effluvium (TE). Telogen effluvium is a condition where hair follicles are pushed into the resting phase of hair loss known as the telogen phase. At any given time, 5% of the average adult’s hair is in the telogen phase and loses approximately 100 hairs daily. This percentage increases for a person with TE; consequently, the amount of hair lost can increase to approximately 300 a day.
Although telogen effluvium is extremely distressing, for most people, it is temporary and resolves on its own within three to six months after the onset of hair loss. Since this condition is reversible, people on these types of drugs are encouraged to make healthier lifestyle changes to mitigate the effects and shorten the duration of TE. One of these changes is ensuring a balanced diet that contains protein, such as meat, eggs, and dairy, as well as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, a full seven to eight hours of sleep is required for the average adult, which helps reduce stress. After that, taking a multivitamin containing essential nutrients such as zinc, biotin, potassium, and vitamin B6 is recommended to support overall health and potentially aid hair regrowth.
To further speed up the resolution of hair loss, individuals can also do medical therapy, for example, topical or oral minoxidil, which is commonly prescribed in our practice to promote hair regrowth. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments have also been implemented to accelerate hair regrowth in affected patients. Certain shampoos, such as Ketoconazole shampoo, have shown positive effects in treating hair loss. However, making the modifications I mentioned above as part of the overall management is essential for supporting hair health during and after periods of telogen effluvium.