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GLP-1 hair loss: how common, and why women report more

Hair loss is on the Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo labels, and in every label that splits it by sex, women reported far more of it than men.

By PeptideTracker editorial team · Updated November 8, 2026 · 10 sources

[00] Short answer

  1. Hair loss was reported by 3.3% of adults on Wegovy 2.4 mg vs 1% on placebo, and by 4–5% on Zepbound vs 1%1–2.
  2. Women reported more: 7.1% of women on Zepbound vs 0.5% of men, and 8.4% of women on Wegovy 7.2 mg vs 0.2% of men1–2.
  3. The Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo labels all say hair loss in their trials was associated with weight reduction1–3.
  4. Shedding after a trigger like rapid weight loss (telogen effluvium) usually starts 2–3 months later. The acute form lasts under 6 months5.
  5. No Zepbound patient stopped treatment because of hair loss in the main trials, compared with one on placebo2.

How common is hair loss on Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo?

In the weight-loss trials, hair loss was reported by 3% of adults on Wegovy 2.4 mg, 4% to 5% on Zepbound and 4% to 5% on Foundayo. On placebo it was 1% to 2%1–3.

Percent of adults reporting hair loss: weight-management trials (US labels, section 6.1)
Medicine and doseOn the medicineOn placeboTrial length, source
Wegovy 2.4 mg weekly13%1%68 weeks, Table 3
Wegovy 7.2 mg weekly16% (3% on 2.4 mg)1%72 weeks, Table 4
Zepbound 5 mg25%1%72 weeks, Table 1
Zepbound 10 mg24%1%72 weeks, Table 1
Zepbound 15 mg25%1%72 weeks, Table 1
Foundayo 5.5 mg daily34%2%72 weeks, Table 1
Foundayo 9 mg daily34%2%72 weeks, Table 1
Foundayo 17.2 mg daily35%2%72 weeks, Table 1

The Wegovy text gives 3.3% for 2.4 mg and 5.8% for 7.2 mg, vs 1% on placebo1. Compare each medicine with its own placebo row.

  • Teenagers: in the Wegovy trial in children aged 12 and over, hair loss was 4% on Wegovy vs 0% on placebo1.
  • Mounjaro and Ozempic: their labels list alopecia (hair loss) only among reports made after the medicines went on sale, not in their diabetes trial tables4,9.
  • UK note: the UK Mounjaro SmPC, which covers weight management, says hair loss was reported by 4.9% on tirzepatide vs 1.0% on placebo across SURMOUNT-1, -2 and -310.

Is GLP-1 hair loss more common in women?

Yes, in every label that splits it by sex. On Zepbound, 7.1% of women reported hair loss vs 0.5% of men. On Foundayo it was 7% vs 0.9%, and on Wegovy 2.4 mg 4% vs 0.9%1–3.

Percent reporting hair loss by sex (US labels, section 6.1 hair loss paragraphs)
GroupWomen on the medicineMen on the medicineWomen on placeboMen on placebo
Wegovy 2.4 mg (Studies 2–4)14%0.9%2%0%
Wegovy 7.2 mg trials: 7.2 mg18.4%0.2%1.5%0%
Wegovy 7.2 mg trials: 2.4 mg15.4%0%1.5%0%
Zepbound, all doses27.1%0.5%1.3%0%
Foundayo, all doses37%0.9%3%0.7%

Zepbound and Foundayo pool all doses from their two main trials. Wegovy 2.4 mg pools Studies 2, 3 and 41–3.

Women also reported more hair loss on placebo, so part of the gap isn't down to the medicine. The labels don't explain the difference. In a Korean study of 140 people diagnosed with hair shedding after weight loss, 110 were women. The women had lost weight more slowly on average (3.1 kg a month vs 5.0 kg for the men), and the authors concluded women are especially vulnerable6.

Why does hair loss happen on GLP-1 medicines?

The labels don't say the medicine damages hair. Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo each say hair loss in their trials "was associated with weight reduction"1–3. The type most often linked to fast weight loss is telogen effluvium.

  • What telogen effluvium is: a temporary, diffuse shedding where a stress on the body pushes more hairs than usual into their resting phase at once7. Calorie restriction and severe protein, fatty acid or zinc deficiency are listed triggers5.
  • Weight loss as a trigger: in the Korean study, people diagnosed with shedding after weight loss had lost an average of 15.2% of their body weight, at about 3.5 kg a month6.
  • After weight-loss surgery: a 2025 meta-analysis of 41 studies (7,044 patients) found hair loss in 47% of people after bariatric surgery8.
  • On GLP-1s specifically: a 2026 systematic review of 24 studies found telogen effluvium and pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) were the types most often reported, with semaglutide and tirzepatide linked most often. It named rapid weight loss as a possible contributor, said the hair loss type was often not recorded, and noted that not every study found a higher risk7.

What isn't known: no trial has tested whether the medicine itself affects hair apart from the weight loss, and the reviewers called for prospective trials to settle cause and timing7.

When does GLP-1 hair loss start, and does it grow back?

The labels don't report when hair loss started or whether it grew back. For telogen effluvium in general, a review says shedding usually starts 2 to 3 months after the trigger, the acute form lasts under 6 months, and it resolves in about 95% of acute cases5. Shedding that lasts longer than 6 months is called chronic telogen effluvium5.

  • Stopping treatment: no one on Zepbound stopped because of hair loss in the main trials, and one person on placebo did2.
  • Wegovy 7.2 mg: 1 hair loss event led to stopping treatment, 1 to a pause and 5 to a dose reduction, vs none on 2.4 mg or placebo1.
  • Other causes: the 2026 review notes GLP-1 use has been linked with low vitamin D, iron, calcium and protein intake, and that a shedding episode can unmask pattern hair loss that was already developing7.

For the other common side effects and how long they last, see the GLP-1 side effects guide.

Questions

How common is hair loss on Wegovy?

In the Wegovy 2.4 mg weight-loss trials, 3.3% reported hair loss vs 1% on placebo. In the 7.2 mg trials it was 5.8% on 7.2 mg, 3.3% on 2.4 mg and 1.0% on placebo.

Does Zepbound cause hair loss?

The Zepbound label lists hair loss in 4% to 5% of adults vs 1% on placebo, and says it was associated with weight reduction. It was reported by 7.1% of women and 0.5% of men on Zepbound.

Does hair grow back after GLP-1 hair loss?

The labels don't report regrowth. For telogen effluvium in general, a review says the acute form lasts under 6 months and resolves in about 95% of cases. Talk to your prescriber if shedding goes on longer.

Why do women get more hair loss on GLP-1s?

The labels don't say why. Women reported more hair loss on placebo too. In a Korean study of hair shedding after weight loss, women made up 110 of 140 patients, and on average they had lost weight more slowly than the men.

Is hair loss listed for Ozempic or Mounjaro?

Both list alopecia among reports made after the medicines went on sale. It isn't in their type 2 diabetes trial tables. The UK Mounjaro SmPC reports 4.9% vs 1.0% on placebo in the weight-management trials.

When does hair loss start on a GLP-1?

The labels don't say. Telogen effluvium, the type most linked to fast weight loss, usually starts 2 to 3 months after the trigger.

Sources

Checked against Wegovy, Zepbound, Foundayo, Mounjaro and Ozempic US prescribing information (2026), the UK Mounjaro SmPC (August 2026), and peer-reviewed papers on telogen effluvium and weight loss. How we check

  1. 1Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets, US prescribing information, section 6.1. Novo Nordisk, revised 06/2026; Tables 3, 4 and 5, and the Hair Loss paragraph
  2. 2Zepbound (tirzepatide) US prescribing information, section 6.1. Eli Lilly, revised 08/2026; Table 1 and the Hair Loss paragraph
  3. 3Foundayo (orforglipron) tablets, US prescribing information, section 6.1. Eli Lilly, revised 07/2026; Table 1 and the Hair Loss paragraph
  4. 4Mounjaro (tirzepatide) US prescribing information, section 6.2. Eli Lilly, revised 08/2026; postmarketing experience
  5. 5Asghar F, et al. Telogen effluvium: a review of the literature. Cureus 2020;12(5):e8320. doi:10.7759/cureus.8320; presentation and causes sections
  6. 6Kang DH, et al. Telogen effluvium associated with weight loss: a single center retrospective study. Ann Dermatol 2024;36(6):384-388. doi:10.5021/ad.24.043; abstract
  7. 7Gupta AK, et al. GLP-1 therapies and hair loss: a systematic review of current evidence and implications for counseling. Sci Prog 2026;109(2). doi:10.1177/00368504261444578
  8. 8Taghizadeh N, et al. Hair loss and metabolic and bariatric surgery: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Surg 2025;35(6):2370-2380. doi:10.1007/s11695-025-07903-8; abstract
  9. 9Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, US prescribing information, section 6.2. Novo Nordisk, revised 05/2026; postmarketing experience
  10. 10Mounjaro KwikPen, UK Summary of Product Characteristics, section 4.8. Eli Lilly, revised 29 August 2026; accessed 8 Nov 2026

This guide explains what labels and published studies say. It isn't medical advice and doesn't replace your prescriber or pharmacist.

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