Analysis of Google Trends data reveals a staggering 2,100% uptick in searches for “Mounjaro hair loss” worldwide in the last quarter alone.
A London-based hair loss specialist and medical aesthetician, Dr Gizem Seymenoglu, has provided her perspective on the matter, stating that there is no clear established relationship between the drug and hair loss. Still, it may occur due to another reason.
“We haven’t come across any scientific research that shows there is a direct link between weight loss medications and hair loss, and alopecia or hair loss is not a listed side effect of Mounjaro. However, shedding can occur if weight loss occurs rapidly and uncontrollably and the body’s metabolic balance is disrupted,” she said.
According to Dr Gizem, massive weight loss and potential nutritional deficiencies resulting from it can trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium: “It basically happens when there is some kind of ‘shock’ to the system — in this case, something like sudden and noticeable weight loss.
As many as 70% of your hair can be pushed into the resting (telogen) phase of the hair growth cycle and resultantly, hair loss can occur several months after the triggering event. It can obviously be quite distressing because you can lose up to 300 strands per day, when normal is 50 to 100 strands.”
Also, according to Dr Gizem, undereating can harm the hair as it will be deprived of essential nutrients that it needs to grow normally:
“Mounjaro reduces appetite and makes people feel full. That’s just how the drug works. The problem is that people who take this drug might end up not consuming enough of their required essential nutrients. And in addition to undereating, nutrient absorption in their gut may also be altered, so a nutritional deficiency can occur.
Now, we know that potential nutritional deficiencies can certainly cause shedding, which is why it is very important to consume a balanced diet with adequate protein in it and if needed, taking supplements can be considered to address the nutritional deficit. In any case, it’s very important that you talk to your doctor about it.”
Whether rapid weight loss or nutritional deficiencies are causing hair loss, Dr Gizem assures that, in either case, the shedding is not permanent: “Your hair should start to regrow and return to its normal cycle once your body has stabilised.”
Dr Gizem
Dr. Gizem is a facial aesthetics practitioner at Dr Giz Aesthetics, a Medical Aesthetics Clinic in London. She specialises in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, as well as a wide range of non-surgical rejuvenation treatments for the skin, hair, and body. With experience treating over 500 patients, Dr. Gizem is fluent in both English and Turkish.
