It can be very hard to lose weight with diet and exercise alone, and for some people it can be impossible because their body works against them. No matter what they do, or how hard they work, the scale just will not budge. The new GLP-1 weight loss injections are getting increasingly popular because they have been helping many people break through past challenges and reach their weight loss goals.
If you have done any research on GLP-1 medications, you are sure to have come across a list of the most common side effects, like nausea and vomiting, but we often get questions about other possible side effects. One question that has been coming up more lately is “Does tirzepatide cause hair loss?” Today, we are going to look at the topic of hair loss while using GLP-1 medication and tell you why hair loss might happen, what doctors and researchers have learned, and what you can do if this happens to you.
{{cta_button}}
What Is Tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide is a prescription drug that was first developed to help patients with type 2 diabetes regulate their blood sugar, but it is also approved by the FDA for use with weight management. It is sold under the brand names Mounjaro (for type 2 diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) and is part of the same family of GLP-1 medications that include semaglutide (Ozempic & Wegovy).
These drugs are administered through subcutaneous injection once a week and mimic the hormones that your body naturally makes that keep your metabolism running properly. These medications help enhance the effect that your natural hormones trigger when you eat, which includes helping to regulate your blood sugar, slowing down how fast your stomach empties, which keeps you feeling full longer, curbing your appetite, stopping food cravings, and helping to convert more calories to energy and store fewer calories as fat.
What the Tirzepatide Drug Label Says About Hair Loss
When Zepbound (tirzepatide) was studied in clinical trials, some people reported hair loss. Eli Lilly, the company that manufactures Zepbound, reported that hair loss was more often seen in female patients and that it was linked to weight loss, meaning it is not that tirzepatide directly attacks the hair follicles but how fast the individual loses weight.
Hair Loss and Weight Loss Is Connected
Many people experience hair loss when their body goes through some type of sudden stress or significant changes. It is common for individuals to experience shedding after they have undergone surgery, have gone through a traumatic experience, or have quickly lost weight. These events can interrupt your normal cycle of hair growth, throwing it off and causing it to get stuck in the telogen phase, where the old hairs shed off and new hair begins to grow.
The other thing that can make it seem worse is that sometimes the cycle can get stuck in the catagen phase, which is a sort of rest period where you do not lose any hair because your follicles are resting. Then when the shedding phase starts, it can seem like you are losing all your hair because you have excess buildup. Normally only a small portion of your hair follicles are going through the shedding phase at one time.
What Are Doctors Saying About Tirzepatide Hair Loss?
Some of the reasons that your doctor may give you to explain your hair shedding after starting tirzepatide iclude:
- Losing weight at a fast rate can shock your body. This type of stress can push a large number of hairs into the shedding phase at one time.
- When your calorie intake drops, you may not be getting all the vital nutrients, minerals, and vitamins your body needs, and gaps in iron, protein, vitamin D, or B12 levels can interfere in your hair growth cycle. Your doctor can test your blood and determine if you are lacking in any of these critical elements and if this is contributing to your sudden hair loss.
- Being sick or experiencing shifts in your hormone levels can also influence your hair growth pattern. Losing weight can change the balance of your hormones and the way your body functions, which can trigger hair shedding.
- Some people may suddenly develop an unrelated hair condition such as alopecia areata that can pop up while they are using tirzepatide and cause shedding. It is unknown whether the issue was triggered by the medication and may be a coincidence, so more research is needed.
Has Research Discovered a Link Between Tirzepatide and Hair Loss?
This is a tricky question to answer because the information available is a combination of small studies and personal anecdotes with inconclusive evidence. Experts in most studies pointed out that rapid weight loss and the physical stress it causes can disrupt the body’s normal hair growth cycle. They noted a higher rate of hair loss with semaglutide and other GLP-1 weight loss drugs and recommended checking out other reasons like nutritional deficiencies as well.
One small study compared semaglutide (Wegovy) to bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave) for hair loss during weight loss and found that those using the GLP-1 drug semaglutide experienced a higher instance of hair loss. The hair loss also affected women more than the men in the study.
In clinical trials for Wegovy, the GLP-1 medication was reported to affect 3.3% of the participants using Wegovy vs. 1.4% of those taking their placebo. Individuals who lost over 20% of their starting weight were more affected, which supports the belief that the weight loss is the underlying cause and not the technique used to lose weight.
During the Zepbound (tirzepatide) clinical trials, approximately 4-5% of users taking the medication experienced hair loss vs. 1% of those using the placebo. Interestingly, women had a much higher rate of hair loss (7%) than men (less than 1%), which is most likely due to the way the medication changes hormone levels.
{{cta_small}}
What Are Tirzepatide Patients Reporting?
Many individuals are sharing their stories on online forums and social media sites, and their firsthand reports are similar to researchers' findings in that there are mixed results. Some patients say they experienced heavy shedding while using tirzepatide or other GLP-1 drugs. Others say they did not have any issues with shedding or hair problems at all. Some say they developed acne while using GLP-1 injections, and a small number reported thicker hair or noticeable improvements in their skin.
As you can see, the reports are all over the place, and there have not been any large controlled studies to accurately determine how many users may experience tirzepatide hair loss. The medication works differently for each person, and it is hard to know exactly how it will work for you. The general conclusion to date is that it is more about how fast the weight loss occurs rather than the medication itself.
Is There a Way To Stop Hair Loss While on Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)?
If you are noticing your hair thinning while using tirzepatide to lose weight, there is no need to panic, as it is almost always just a temporary situation. Here are some doctor-recommended tips you can use to help:
- Do not stop using the medication and talk with your doctor. They can help determine the best course of action and may adjust the strength of your medication or recommend supplemental vitamins and minerals.
- Have some basic blood tests run and ask them to check your iron, thyroid, vitamin D, B12, and other important nutrition markers so you know what gaps you can treat and fill in with supplements or other medications.
- Work with a dietitian to help you learn how to eat healthy to ensure you are getting enough protein and the other vital nutrients your body needs to function as it should. This is important while you are losing weight and into the future. Significant drops in your calorie intake can cause nutritional deficiencies, so it is very important to do all you can to prevent this from occurring.
- Schedule a visit with a dermatologist if shedding is heavy or prolonged because they can help determine if you are experiencing normal telogen effluvium or check and provide treatment for other hair and scalp issues.
- Talk with your weight loss doctor about setting up a plan that will deliver steady but safe and slower weight loss. If your hair loss is tied to how fast you are losing weight, adjusting your plan may help your hair follicles recover faster.
- Be patient because normal telogen effluvium can last several months, and it may take 3 to 6 months after that for your hair to begin to regrow.
Where Can I Learn More About Tirzepatide and Other Weight Loss Medications?
If you are considering tirzepatide or another GLP-1 medicine, Batash Endoscopic Weight Los Center in New York City can help. Dr. Batash and his team offer GLP-1 medications, medical weight loss guidance and solutions, along with nutritional support, and the tools and support you need to ensure you lose weight safely and maintain your results.
Most experts believe the main reason behind hair loss is how fast your body loses weight and how this quick rate affects your body’s nutrition and the stress it causes on your hair follicles. Your expert team of weight loss professionals at Batash Endoscopic Weight Loss Center will help you find the perfect weight loss plan that will balance nutrition and weight loss to help avoid hair loss or other unpleasant side effects that can occur when you lose weight too fast. Set up your consultation today to learn more about how we can help you lose weight at a safe and healthy pace.
{{cta_button}}
