Does Ozempic Cause Hair Loss?

Ozempic is an FDA-approved injectable medication with semaglutide as its active ingredient and is mainly indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. To respond to the question, ‘Does Ozempic cause hair loss?’ let’s discuss first how the drug impacts patients.

When patients take this diabetes drug, their body secretes more insulin when they eat. This does not allow the liver to produce excess sugar. The drug also delays stomach emptying rapidly, which makes the person feel fuller for longer. Therefore, it curbs appetite.

Thanks to this diabetes medication, patients achieve better control of blood glucose levels. It helps with weight loss as well as prevents overeating. However, some patients on Semaglutide-based medication have found alopecia as a side effect.

In this blog post, we will answer the question, ‘Is hair loss a side effect of Ozempic?’ as Dr. Resul Yaman Hair Clinic; we’ll speak on potential treatment for low hair density.

Ozempic Hair Loss

One of the most popular weight-loss medications is Ozempic, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide. Semaglutide helps in the production of insulin, which helps to regulate the effect of diabetes.

As mentioned earlier, patients on this medication lose weight rapidly because it keeps them full for a longer period. Semaglutide has been approved by the FDA since it is effective in causing people to lose weight.

Let’s talk about the side effects of this active ingredient. The majority of drugs with semaglutide have been associated with side effects like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. Some of the side effects are rare, such as diabetic retinopathy, risk of thyroid cancer, severe allergic reactions, and pancreatitis.

While the drug is not explicitly linked with hair loss, it is proven that it will cause alopecia indirectly. The condition, more commonly known as Ozempic hair loss, may occur due to sudden weight loss.

What is the most prominent side effect of Ozempic? Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are the most frequent side effects. Fortunately, these symptoms resolve over time.

Understanding Ozempic and Hair Loss: What the Data Tells Us

Current clinical evidence shows that scalp hair loss is not a common complaint for patients on Semaglutide-based therapy. The research cites that less than 3% of patients experience alopecia while on the drug.

But rapid weight loss is stressful to the body. Such stress may cause hair grafts to enter the telogen effluvium phase, causing hair loss. In addition, hormonal disruption and nutritional deficiency may decrease hair density in the process.

How Does Rapid Weight Loss Affect Hair Growth?

Hair follicles naturally have a cycle. During the growth phase, new hair begins to grow. Then the growth stops, and the hair is in the resting phase. There, the old hairs fall out. The hair follicle again goes into the growth phase and starts anew.

Not all of a person’s hair follicles are in this cycle simultaneously. Each of the hair follicles has its own cycle, which keeps the hairs seeming to be full.

For an individual who is losing weight too rapidly, telogen effluvium can develop. This can lead to visible hair loss, making hair thinner. However, it should be noted that not all individuals who experience sudden weight loss develop telogen effluvium.

Telogen effluvium does not also damage hair follicles. This means that hair thinning because of this condition is reversible. The hair follicles usually revert to their usual growth pattern in weeks or months.

Will Your Hair Grow Back After Stopping Ozempic?

If your hair enters the telogen effluvium phase and starts falling out while on this medication, it will grow back once you stop taking the drug. It will, however, take a few months for your hair to return to the growth phase and start growing again.

How to Stop Hair Loss from Ozempic?

As we surfed looking for an answer to the question, ‘Is hair loss due to Ozempic?’ we recommend that you read this part of our article carefully. Information regarding treatments available for thinning or loss of hair might be useful. A few of them are listed here:

• A patient with diabetes experiencing hair loss on the scalp can discuss with his specialist physician attempting an alternative drug that does not have hair loss as a side effect.
• Because appetite reduces with Semaglutide treatment, patients may eat less food, resulting in essential vitamins and mineral deficiencies. Zinc, biotin, and iron deficiencies can result in hair loss. Request your physician for supplements to cover these deficiencies.
• Stressful as it may be, diabetes control at times can result in thinning hair. Stress has been shown to lead to thinning hair. Professional help must be sought to manage stress. Stress-reducing exercises must also be engaged in.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is in the form of blood extracted from the patient, filtered to concentrate platelets, and injected into the scalp. It can enhance hair follicles and is a good option for telogen effluvium patients.

Turkish hair replacement is a good solution for widespread or long-term hair loss. Hair transplantations in Turkey are cheap. Dr. Resul Yaman Hair Clinic in Istanbul is famous for affordable prices and long-term results. We recommend checking out our hair transplant before-and-after results to understand what to expect.

The Bottom Line: Does Ozempic Cause Hair Loss?

There is no evidence that medicine, a form of semaglutide, directly causes alopecia. However, rapid weight loss due to the medication can lead to hair shedding. Hair shedding typically appears around three months after significant weight loss.

We suggest consulting your doctor for more information on ‘Does Ozempic cause hair loss?’ Your doctor will provide the necessary information regarding hair thinning and shedding caused by the medication.