Does Ozempic
cause hair loss?
Weight management is essential for good health, especially now that 41.9% of American adults are obese. The high cases of obesity have led to an increase in demand for Ozempic and other weight loss-related medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to have a healthy weight range, your BMI must be between a BMI of 18.5 and a BMI of 25. If you can maintain such a range, then you avoid chances of being underweight, overweight, or obese. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight by the square of your height.
For the longest time, Ozempic for weight loss is believed to have been a lifesaver to people with a BMI above 25. However, recently there have been some concerns that using Ozempic for weight loss may result in hair loss.
This article looks to answer the question; does Ozempic cause hair loss? We’ll also discuss how Ozempic works and its side effects. Let’s get started.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic belongs to the GLP-1 agonists group of drugs. These drugs are effective in helping people to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity. The active component of Ozempic is semaglutide. However, the active ingredients in other GLP-1 agonists drugs include the following;
• Exenatide b.i.d., which is injected into the body twice daily
• Lixisenatide, which is injected into the body once daily
• Liraglutide, which you must inject into the body once daily
• Dulaglutide that’s injected into the body once weekly
• Abliglutide that’s injected into the body once weekly
• Semaglutide, which is injected into the body once weekly
Semaglutide is under two brand names- Ozempic and Wegony. Ozempic is FDA-approved for reducing blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes and decreasing the chances of cardiovascular illnesses like stroke.
Wegony, on the other hand, is FDA-approved for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults, who are more likely to suffer from weight-related complications like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The difference that makes Wegony more effective in chronic weight management than Ozempic, is its dosage. You administer the drug in one weekly dosage. The doses start from a weekly dose of 0.25 mg for four weeks. It’s then increased gradually at intervals of four weeks until you get to the maximum dosage of 2.4 mg once a week.
Ozempic is good at reducing blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. It minimizes cardiovascular complications like stroke. You can start taking Ozempic on a dosage of 0.25 mg for the first four weeks and gradually increase these dosages every four weeks to a maximum of 2.0 mg per week.
How does Ozempic for weight loss work?
Almost a third of all prescription drugs in America are sold off-label. Off-labeling is legal as the drugs sold will achieve the desired effect based on sound scientific data. This has led to the sale of Ozempic as an alternative weight management drug.
Since the demand for weight management drugs is at an all-time high, it has led to the depletion of Wegony in the marketplace. Medical professionals now prescribe Ozempic as an alternative weight management drug because both Wegony and Ozempic contain the same active ingredient- semaglutide.
Ozempic for weight loss works by decreasing your food appetite levels. It does this by slowing down the movement of food from your stomach. As a result, you feel full for long, thus, reducing the amount of calorie intake in your body. You must include some exercises and a balanced food diet for the best weight loss results.
What are the side effects of Ozempic for weight loss?
The side effects of Ozempic for weight loss range from mild to severe. You may experience severe side effects as you get to high doses of the drug, have a poor medical background, or have a prevailing medical condition.
You must seek the guidance of your health professional if you experience severe side effects. Also, be sure to notify them of your medical background and existing medical conditions.
You can avoid severe side effects by sticking to a dose that works for you. For instance, if you find Ozempic is effective at a weekly dose of 1 mg weekly, maintain it at that. Don’t increase your dosage to the maximum dosage of 2 mg per week.
Some of the common side effects of Ozempic for weight loss include the following;
• Gastrointestinal discomfort. It includes diarrhea, constipation, and burping, especially
during the first few weeks of starting the medication.
• Pancreatitis
• Hypoglycemia, especially when using insulin to lower your blood sugar levels.
• Kidney failure due to dehydration
• Allergic reactions like rashes on your skin
• Complications of your gallbladder
• Poor eye-vision
• Increased chances of contracting medullary thyroid cancer or tumor
Does Ozempic cause hair loss?
Hair loss isn’t a listed side effect of using Ozempic for chronic weight management. However, you may experience it while using Ozempic. So, what causes hair loss while using Ozempic?
Is hair loss in Ozempic or weight loss common?
Hair loss due to using Ozempic is less common. However, clinical trials of Wegony- its sister drug- have shown a 3% prevalence rate of hair loss among patients. It’s worth noting that the prescription for Wegony is much higher than for Ozempic and that could be the cause.
Other GLP-1 agonist drugs that resulted in hair loss at their highest dosages during clinical trials include the following;
• Tirzepatide at 6% of patients
• Placebo at 1% of patients
However, the effect of hair loss is short-term because of the rapid change in diet and increased stress levels in the body. After your body gets accustomed to the drug, your hair will regrow.
What causes hair loss whileusing Ozempic?
Several factors lead to hair loss while using semaglutide- Ozempic and Wegony. Read on to learn more.
Development of alopecia areata due to type 2 diabetes
There’s a strong connection between prevailing medical conditions to hair loss. It’s known that type 2 diabetes may cause hair loss by encouraging the development of alopecia areata. This is an auto-immune disease that attacks your hair follicles and leaves you partially or entirely bald on your face and head.
Also, hair loss may be a symptom of medullary thyroid cancer, especially if you have a family history of its presence. It reinforces the belief that hair loss isn’t a result of using Ozempic for weight loss but due to the existing medical condition.
As such, you should use Ozempic to lower blood sugar levels. It contributes to treating type 2 diabetes to limit hair loss.
Experiencing telogen effluvium
We all lose hair now and then. But, it becomes serious when it occurs in lumps over a short time. In this case, you’ll be experiencing telogen effluvium, which is the thinning or shedding of hair around your head due to increased stress levels or a rapid body change.
There are two types of telogen effluvium— acute and chronic. In acute telegon effluvium, you lose most of your hair in less than six months. This process kick-starts two to three months after your body is triggered.
In chronic telogen effluvium, you lose handfuls of hair first, but the process lasts for more than six months. In the long run, you won’t identify the stressor, and you don’t get to be bald before your hair regrows.
During the growth stage, you can treat your hair or leave it to regrow on its own after three to six months. The stages of hair growth will include the following;
Anagen (growth)
Anagen (growth)
This stage encompasses around 85% of your current hair follicles. It’s the most active stage of hair growth, with hair follicles continuously subdividing as they elongate your hair strands.
Catagen (resting)
The catagen stage facilitates the resting of the hair growth cycle, whereby the hair follicles stop subdividing and growing. It accounts for around 7% of your hair growth cycle.
Telogen (shedding)
It’s the inactive stage in the growth cycle characterized by a white bulb of keratin at the root of the hair follicle until the follicle is shed. It accounts for almost 8% of the hair growth cycle.
When experiencing telogen effluvium, almost 72% of your hair in the anagen stage becomes inactive and eventually sheds. As a result, you experience hair loss.
Physical stressors and a bad diet
Ozempic for weight loss results in physical stress to your body. This is because you lose 5% to 15% of your body weight within a short span, making it difficult for your body to adapt to the changes resulting in hair loss.
Physical stressors and dieting work hand in hand. Do you remember that Ozempic work by limiting your appetite to achieve weight loss? It translates to reduced food intake and probably a poor diet. As a result, your body will respond by prioritizing nutrients and resources to the essential body functions. Non-essential functions like hair growth will lack nutrients and result in the shedding of hair.
How to prevent hair loss
You can prevent hair loss when using Ozempic by employing the following factors;
Eating a balanced diet
A diet that lacks sufficient proteins, calories, and vitamins when using Ozempic for weight loss can result in hair loss. As such, you must ensure that your diet is well-balanced and doesn’t lack any nutrients to avoid malnutrition.
Be sure to look out for iron-rich food, vitamin D and B supplements, and zinc supplements when on weight loss products.
Decreasing stress levels
Physical and mental stress can lead to sudden hair loss if left unchecked. You must look for ways to reduce stress levels for peace of mind and body. When your body is free from stress, it functions at optimum levels leading to good hair health.
Treating any medical condition
The prevailing medical condition or the drugs that treat it may result in hair loss. A good example is the use of Chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. Also, type 2 diabetes may result in hair loss due to the development of alopecia areata, a disease resulting from the immune system attacking hair follicles in the body.
You can prevent hair loss by treating the prevailing medical condition. It helps in tackling the adverse effects caused by medical conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Using hair growth treatments
There are several hair growth treatments out there. For now, we’ll highlight them below;
• Using Minoxidil
• The Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy
• Hair transplant surgery
• Using Finasteride
• Employing the lower-laser therapy
Weight loss products are instrumental in streamlining your health. They modify your BMI
to a healthy BMI range facilitating good blood circulation and reducing the risk of
cardiovascular complications.
Lately, Ozempic for weight loss has gained a lot of attraction in the market. Its convenience as an alternative to Wegony has increased its demand. However, some users complain that it causes hair loss, which it doesn’t. Other factors like physical stress and telogen
effluvium contribute to hair loss while using Ozempic.
I hope you’ve gathered valuable information regarding what Ozempic is, how it works,
its side effects, whether it causes hair loss, and how you may prevent hair loss.
