“My Hair Has Thinned Dramatically” – What a GP Thinks You Should Know About GLP-1s

Main image – Annatabakova/Stocksy

Dr Sonia Khorana is a GP with a special interest in dermatology and Live That Glow’s own skincare agony aunt. She is passionate about helping people feel confident in their own skin. In this month’s column, she advises on hair thinning with GLP1 use. Got a question for Dr Sonia? Send it to columnists@livethatglow.com for a chance to have it featured.

I’ve been put on Mounjaro by my GP for my diabetes and have slowly made my way up to the 15mg dose over the last 18 months. It’s helped my diabetes and I’ve also lost a lot of weight but my hair has thinned dramatically, especially at the front. My GP says I’ll now need to stay on the 15mg dose forever for my diabetes and (even though I’ve reached my ideal weight) I’m really worried that means my hair will never grow back properly again, or even that it will keep falling out. Is there anything I can do to prevent more hair loss and to help it grow back?

Dr Sonia says:

Hair thinning like you’re describing can be really distressing, especially when you’ve worked so hard to improve your health, but the reassuring news is that this is a recognised and often temporary side effect.

Medications like Mounjaro don’t directly cause hair loss. What’s much more likely is a condition called telogen effluvium, which is triggered by significant changes in the body – like rapid weight loss. Essentially, more hairs than usual enter the “resting” phase and shed a few months later. The main thing here is that telogen effluvium is usually reversible.

Even if you remain on Mounjaro long term, the shedding typically settles once your weight and metabolism stabilise. It doesn’t mean you’ll continue losing hair indefinitely, and in most cases, regrowth does occur – it can take 3-6 months to notice improvement, and up to a year for full recovery.

There are things you can do to support regrowth and minimise further loss:

• Optimise your nutrition: Hair is very sensitive to deficiencies. Make sure you’re getting enough protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D and B12. If in doubt, ask your GP for blood tests.
• Avoid overly restrictive eating: Even if you’ve reached your goal weight, maintaining a balanced, adequate calorie intake is crucial for hair recovery.
• Be gentle with your hair: Minimise tight hairstyles, heat styling and harsh chemical treatments while shedding is active.
• Consider targeted treatments: Over-the-counter options like minoxidil can help stimulate regrowth, particularly around the hairline.
• Manage stress and overall health: Physical and emotional stress can prolong shedding.

If the thinning is particularly noticeable at the front or temples or if it doesn’t start to improve after 6-9 months, it’s worth seeing a GP or a dermatologist to rule out other causes of hair loss, such as female pattern hair loss. You shouldn’t feel you have to choose between your diabetes control and your hair. With the right support most people can have both.