EXCLUSIVE: Lucy Davies shed 8st 13lb while taking Mounjaro, but after suffering hair loss while taking the jab she had struggled more than ever with confidence issues10:03, 02 Aug 2026When Lucy Davies lost almost nine stone on Mounjaro, she expected to finally feel confident in her own skin.‌Instead, the 33-year-old says she has become "more self-conscious" than ever, after suffering severe hair loss that left her hair coming out in clumps and relying on extensions to hide thinning patches.‌The insurance consultant, from Pontypridd, Wales, dropped from 16st 11lb to 7st 12lb after starting the weight-loss injection in September 2024. But four months into her treatment, she noticed a worrying new side effect.‌"I was in the shower washing my hair and it was coming out in clumps," she recalled. "I kept washing it and it would come out in clumps again. As I was brushing it, it just kept falling out. I really panicked."The mum-of-one says the medication left her unable to face food, causing her daily intake to plummet from around 5,000 calories a day to as little as 500. "Some days I was eating nothing. I couldn't even stand the smell of food," she said.‌Although Lucy had naturally fine hair before, the extreme shedding was unlike anything she'd experienced. "I have had thin hair, but nowhere near where it is now," she said. "If I don't have extensions, I can't wear it down anymore."The thinning has affected her entire scalp, with the top of her head now noticeably sparse. "I can see my scalp now," she said. "That bothers me as well. It's gone very thin on top and I have to be careful how I style it."Desperate to encourage regrowth, Lucy spent thousands of pounds on high-end haircare products and supplements - with little success. "I've bought all the proper haircare like K18 and collagen, and it just doesn't seem to be making a difference," she said. "The collagen is £45 for two weeks and K18 is about £80 a bottle. I'm spending thousands and not seeing any improvement."‌Lucy has also taken hair vitamins from the day she started Mounjaro after having been warned hair loss could be a possible side effect.‌Caroline Balazs, a nurse practitioner and founder of SkinnyJab, says hair loss is a real and measurable side effect across multiple GLP-1 medications. "In our experience, we appear to see more hair loss among patients taking Mounjaro than Wegovy, although it is generally thought that the GLP-1 element may be responsible," she explained.She notes that dramatic, rapid weight loss can alter the body's hormone levels and metabolism. "Fat tissue produces oestrogen, which helps keep hair in its active growth phase," she added.‌"When somebody loses a significant amount of fat, falling oestrogen levels may allow the effects of testosterone and DHT to become more prominent, potentially contributing to hair loss. There is not yet concrete evidence confirming this mechanism in relation to GLP-1 medications, but it warrants further research."There may also be changes involving thyroid hormones and cortisol levels. These medications affect the metabolism, which is an extremely complex area of medicine, so these changes could also be contributing factors."To combat shedding, she says patients should maintain a high protein intake and consider treatments like topical minoxidil to help prolong the active hair-growth phase.‌While some hair has slowly started growing back around the Lucy's hairline, she says it remains a fraction of what it once was."I read that it can happen and that it normally settles down, and it did eventually, but it hasn't grown back to what it should have done," she explained.‌Despite transforming her appearance, Lucy says losing weight hasn't brought the happiness she imagined. "A lot of people think losing the weight makes you happy, but to be honest I'm still not happy," she said."It's still a mental battle every day. I still see myself as big. I feel like I lived more before because I'd just eat what I wanted and do what I wanted. Now I check calories all day, every day. I'm way more critical of myself now. I'm way more self-conscious now. It hasn't helped me."She admits maintaining her weight has become mentally exhausting. "When I go on holiday, I'm paranoid. I'm on the scales on holiday to see how much weight I've put on. I enjoy the holiday, but there's always the stress of what I'm eating. Even though I know I can lose the weight, it's a constant fear."‌The psychological impact became so severe that Lucy took two months off work due to her mental health and has since started counselling. "It's going to be a long time," she said.While she says the medication has transformed her physically, allowing her to become far more active and enjoy walking, she admits her confidence hasn't caught up.Article continues below"I have a nine-year-old son and I wanted to do more with him, feel more comfortable when I'm out and be able to go to the beach with him. But now I've lost the weight, I still wouldn't do that. We're going swimming next week and my friend said, 'Bring your bathers,' but I still wouldn't go in. It's worse now."Lucy is now eating between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day while remaining on a maintenance dose of Mounjaro, but plans to stop the medication once she finishes her current pen. "If I find I can't do it alone, I'm happy to stay on the maintenance dose, but I'm not losing any weight on it now," she said.If you are looking for support, contact Beat Eating Disorders by visiting the organisation's website here.