GLP-1 Hair Loss Explained: Why It Happens, How Long It Lasts, and What Helps

We’ve all had that moment scrolling past a celebrity photo or running into a friend who has lost a noticeable amount of weight and do a double-take. At times these transformations aren’t subtle, and more and more, GLP-1 agonists like tirzepatide and semaglutide, are what’s behind it. These prescription medications work by mimicking the hormones that regulate blood sugar, appetite and digestion, curbing cravings and helping people eat less. Originally developed to treat diabetes, GLP-1 medications quickly evolved to be something much bigger: powerful tools for weight loss that potentially deliver additional benefits.

But there are downsides to GLP-1s, and the long-term effects of these medications is still being studied, especially as more people use them for extended periods. Side effects beyond nausea and gastrointestinal distress are getting more attention, and hair loss is one of them.

Do GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications Cause Hair Loss?

As more people are using GLP-1s, various watchdog groups and anecdotal accounts report hair thinning and hair loss. But the preliminary research shows an association between GLP-1 and hair loss, not a direct link. In other words, it hasn’t been confirmed that GLP-1s actually damage the hair or hair follicle and cause hair loss.

Before we get into why hair thinning might happen if you’re taking GLP-1 medications, here’s a little crash course on the hair growth process.

The Most Common Explanation: Teleogen Effluvium From Metabolic Stress

Hair grows in phases. There’s the anagen, or growth phase, the catagen phase (a transition phase where growth slows), telogen (resting) phase and exogen, the shedding phase where hair falls out to make way for the growth phase to start again.

Stress can disrupt these phases. Physiological stressors like rapid weight loss may contribute to a rise in levels of a hormone called cortisol and interrupt the normal hair growth cycle, prolonging the resting phase and preventing follicles from re-entering growth. This is a condition called telogen effluvium, in which a large number of hair follicles are prematurely pushed into the resting (telogen) phase, leading to shedding and visible thinning of the hair.

If your cortisol levels are chronically high, this can also weaken the structural integrity of the hair follicles, making them more vulnerable to hair loss.

How Long Does Hair Loss From GLP-1s Last?

Losing weight, whether it’s rapid or gradual, can be stressful for your body and may contribute to hormonal and nutritional changes that cause the follicles to prematurely shift into the telogen phase. Additionally, when you’re taking a GLP-1, your overall intake of nutrients essential for hair growth may decrease. These changes can alter the hair growth cycle and lead to the hair shedding and/or thinning. Once your weight stabilizes and you start getting the right nutrients, your hair should start to grow back over several months.

Why Weight Loss and Calorie Restriction Matter More Than Medication

Other factors can predispose you to losing hair while taking a GLP-1; that’s why it’s important to be in constant conversation with your healthcare provider so she can help protect your health and well-being as you’re taking a GLP-1. A few things to consider:

• Nutrient Deficiencies. You may be falling short on vitamins and minerals that play a role in hair growth, including iron, zinc and vitamins D, E, and A.
• Hormonal shifts. Your hormones are in flux in certain stages, particularly after you’ve had a baby (postpartum), during perimenopause and the initial postmenopause period. In fact, the postpartum period can be a double-whammy since your hair sheds naturally at this point and you’re losing weight from pregnancy. All of these hormonal changes can deplete levels of compounds in your body called peptides, amino acids that help regulate the hair growth process. When you’re low on peptides, this may contribute to shedding, thinning and weak hair.
• Underlying thyroid issues or other health conditions. A number of conditions may also be a factor in hair loss including anemia and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Thyroid disorders including hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism may contribute to hair thinning across the scalp by slowing or accelerating the hair growth cycle, and autoimmune conditions can attack the hair follicles or disrupt normal hair growth. Seek advice from a medical professional if you think this could apply to you. 

What You Can Do About Hair Loss After Taking GLP-1 Meds

If you’re experiencing hair thinning or loss while taking a GLP-1 medication, there are steps you can take:

1. Make Sure You’re Getting the Right Nutrients

Hair follicles need building blocks, including protein, iron, zinc, vitamins D, B12. They also need a steady source of keratin peptides, which strengthen hair by reinforcing the internal protein structure and supporting collagen production. 
Consider consulting a dietitian who can evaluate your diet and advise you to make any changes, incorporating foods that have the nutrients that healthy hair needs. 

2. Stay active

Regular exercise not only helps with weight loss but it also improves circulation and is a powerful antidote to stressors on your body, helping to lower cortisol levels and keep your hormones on an even keel. And not to mention it’s a mood booster (who doesn’t feel better after working up a sweat?) that can help calm your nervous system and mitigate the impact of stress on your health, including your hair.

3. Get adequate Sleep

Sleep is vital for your overall health and keeping your body functioning as it should, as this is when your systems restore and repair themselves. Lack of sleep is also linked to higher cortisol levels which can disrupt your hair growth cycle. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

4. Manage stress

Of course you can’t control when stress hits but you can help mitigate your body’s reaction to it over time by incorporating stress-relieving habits into your regular routine. Meditation and deep breathing can help reduce cortisol levels and help rebalance your autonomic nervous system, which helps mitigate your body’s stress response. Journaling can help by giving you an outlet to work through being angry or blue and help foster a calmer state of mind.

5. Support follicle health with hair growth peptides

Hair peptides can help support hair resilience during periods of physiological stress (such as weight loss). Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as signaling molecules, sending a message to cells to perform certain functions. When this comes to your hair and scalp, there are a few benefits of hair growth peptides:

• Peptides can activate growth factors like VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), which improve blood flow and nutrient delivery to hair follicles.
• Peptides can help prolong the anagen phase and in turn, help produce thicker, longer strands before shedding begins.
• They can boost collagen and elastin, which can help anchor the hair more securely and reduce shedding.

By strengthening existing hair and supporting the conditions needed for normal growth, peptides may help reduce breakage and make hair less vulnerable to shedding while your body adapts to GLP-1-related changes. 

“OMI Hair Growth Peptides have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA to treat any disease. This article is for educational purposes only.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Do GLP-1 medications directly cause hair loss?

Right now, there’s no conclusive evidence that GLP-1s directly cause hair loss. Experts are seeing an association reported in the FDA-adverse event databases and anecdotal accounts. Most experts think the hair shedding that’s happening when people take GLP-1s is most likely related to the hormonal and nutrient shifts that can happen when you lose weight rather than a direct effect of the medication on hair follicles.

If I’m losing hair on a GLP-1, is it permanent?

In most cases the hair loss that happens on a GLP-1 isn’t permanent. Once your body adapts, your weight stabilizes and your nutrient intake improves, your hair typically starts to grow back over several months.

What can I do to lower my risk of hair loss while taking a GLP-1?

You can support your hair health by making sure you get the protein and nutrients your hair needs, including iron, zinc, vitamins D and B12. Your hair also needs a supply of keratin peptides, which can be depleted when your body is stressed. Keratin peptides bind to damaged areas of the hair shaft, help reinforce weak spots and improve the quality of the hair fiber as it grows. You want to stay active and get enough sleep to help regulate levels of the hormone cortisol.