Weight Loss & Hair Loss- What you need to know!

Weight loss medications are all the current rage, but how are they affecting hair growth? I have several guests who have experienced weight loss for one reason or another, and I have seen some of the side effects first hand- so let’s talk about it. 

I have done some research to gather as much intel as I could before coming to any conclusions, and I will say I have seen firsthand that weight loss and hair loss do typically correlate. Whether that is because someone loses a lot of weight quickly and they weren’t getting enough nutrients and protein during that time to adequately fuel their hair growth, or maybe they were sick and their bodies top priority was not hair health at the time. There are so many different factors that play into having really strong and healthy hair, and it is nearly impossible to control them all. 

Hair loss is an extremely common side effect of rapid weight loss, especially when it comes to dieting or surgeries. These types of hair loss are often temporary and are referred to as telogen effluvium (TE for short). They usually start 3-4 months after weight loss and can last up to 6 months. Everyone’s hair is always cycling through the multiple phases of hair growth. There are three phases of hair growth in the cycle. I won’t bore you with all of the details, but the anagen phase is considered the growth phase, the catagen phase is considered the transition phase, the telogen phase is considered the resting phase, and the exogen phase is the shedding phase. 

Individual hair follicles cycle independently of one another, and each follicle could undergo 10 to 30 cycles in a lifetime. As long as conditions remain stable, most people should keep a consistent amount of hairs and hair density because the number of hairs going through each different cycle at the same time will remain consistent. Some hair will be in the shedding stage while other hairs will be in the growing stage, which will even out one another.However, stress such as rapid weight loss could cause this ratio to become unbalanced, leading to more hairs being in the shedding face than usual. This would cause someone to lose a lot more hair than what is considered normal, which could lead to a lower density overall because of the amount of extra hairs being shed.

Telogen effluvium is a reversible condition in which the hair falls out after a stressful experience. It will usually resolve completely without any treatments, but there are solutions if it doesn’t seem to resolve itself. These include over-the-counter medications and topical treatments. Another type of hair loss can also occur, known as Alopecia Areata. This is when the body attacks its own hair follicles. 

With weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, hair loss is not listed as one of the side effects of the drug, but during trials testing the medications effectiveness for weight loss, about 3% of patients did see hair loss. However, the hair loss probably occurred due to the stress of the rapid weight loss and reduced caloric intake and not the drug itself. While the hair loss may not be directly caused by the drug itself, it is definitely correlated to weight loss in general. 

So what can you do if you are trying to lose weight but you want to protect your hair as much as possible during the process? Always talk to your doctor about any type of diet or medication that you are planning to do, especially if you are planning to lose a significant amount of weight. It is always a good idea to have your blood work done and make sure that you are not missing any key nutrients before you start taking them away through dieting or through weight loss medication.

Another great tip is to invest in a good, high-quality hair supplement that is going to give you all the nutrients you need to grow really strong, healthy hair. I really like the Goldilocks supplements for this reason, because not only do they contain biotin and collagen, but also tons of other great nutrients that will help fuel your body and help grow really healthy strong hair. They even help provide immune system support, improve energy, and help improve memory and focus. Make sure you’re drinking lots of water and even if you are on a calorie restricted diet, make sure the calories that you are consuming are high in protein and nutrients.

Your hair will not be able to thrive if you’re not getting enough nutrients to fuel it. The hair strand is made up of keratinized protein, so if you’re not eating enough protein, then your hair will not be healthy- no matter what type of weight loss you are experiencing. There is currently no direct causation between weight loss medications and hair loss, but there is a correlation between rapid weight loss and hair loss. Always talk to your doctor if you are experiencing severe hair loss!