GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide are great at helping people shed pounds. Unfortunately, these drugs might also help some people shed their hair, too, as new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania examined medical records from people taking GLP-1s for their type 2 diabetes. People had a higher likelihood of hair loss after starting a GLP-1 than those taking other diabetes drugs, they found. Though the risk of losing hair appears to be small and likely reversible in many cases, people on GLP-1s and their doctors should be aware of the potential side effect, the researchers say. “These findings also highlight the need for ongoing surveillance of dermatological adverse events in GLP-1 receptor agonist users,” they wrote in their paper, published Wednesday in The BMJ. Losing weight and hair There have been reports of alopecia, a.k.a. hair loss, linked to GLP-1 use. And following an FDA investigation of post-market data, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) are now required to list alopecia as a potential adverse reaction on their product labeling.
According to the researchers, however, there’s been relatively little research looking into this risk, particularly from large, population-based studies. So they decided to analyze data from people receiving care within the University of Pennsylvania Health System, or Penn Medicine.
