Khaberni - Weight loss medications that mimic hormones, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepabound, have seen a notable rise in popularity in recent years. A recent poll conducted by the KFF American foundation last Friday found that about 1 in 8 adults are currently using GLP-1 medication for treating a chronic illness, for weight loss, or both.
However, side effects remain a major reason why some people stop taking them.
According to a report by CNN, hair loss is less common than known side effects like nausea, vomiting, or constipation, but it is often discussed in online weight loss support and chat groups, and among friends.
The report cites a case of a woman named Carol Safran who started taking Ozempic a year ago to regulate her blood sugar levels after other medications failed. She is now close to her ideal weight, but after increasing the dose to the highest limit of Ozempic, she started noticing something else - her hair is much thinner than before.
Telogen effluvium
Dr. Farah Mustafa, a hair loss specialist at the Tufts Medical Center, diagnosed Safran’s condition as telogen effluvium: hair loss resulting from physical stress. Mustafa explained that this stress was the cause behind the significant weight loss Safran experienced since starting the medication Ozempic.
What is telogen effluvium?
There are 4 stages of hair growth. The first stage is the growth phase or anagen phase. It is followed by the catagen or transition phase, then the telogen or resting phase, and finally the exogen or shedding phase. The anagen phase is typically the longest phase.
Telogen effluvium is a condition that causes an abnormal amount of hair follicles to enter the telogen phase, resulting in more shedding than usual.
Effect of drastic diets
Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says that telogen effluvium often appears after a period of stress, such as childbirth or anesthesia or following a strict diet.
Dr. Aaron Nosbaum, a dermatologist at the Miami Hair Institute, explains: "Whenever people lose a significant amount of weight, usually in a short period of time, it is known that this can lead to an event called telogen effluvium, which is essentially a change in the hair cycle where an abnormal ratio of hair follicles enter the shedding phase".
Significant weight loss
Telogen effluvium can occur 3 to 6 months after a "trigger event," he said, "whether it's physical stress, emotional stress, hormonal imbalance, significant weight loss, starting a new medication, or similar".
Rossi notes that the problem is becoming more common as more people use these drugs for cosmetic weight loss, who may not be getting enough nutrition.
He continues: "The issue with all this is their indiscriminate use, in medical spas, and in compounding pharmacies that sell directly to the consumer. Many of those we see using [the medication] are not obese, but are using it just to maintain or improve their weight. People are beginning with doses that perhaps they should not start with".
Hair growth needs
Every person needs one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to replenish keratin, and adequate amounts of ferritin, zinc, and vitamins B, D, and B-12 for healthy hair, as Rossi says.
