Hair loss is on the side-effect list of both GLP-1 drugs approved for weight loss, Zepbound and Wegovy. It is uncommon, roughly 1 person in 20 at most, and both labels say it was associated with weight reduction [1] [2]. The diabetes versions of the same molecules, Ozempic and Mounjaro, mention it only from reports made after approval. Here is what each label says, drug by drug.
Hair loss affected about 3% to 6% of people in the weight trials
The numbers below come from the placebo-controlled trials summarized on each label. A placebo group matters here: about 1% of people on placebo also reported hair loss, so the drug's share is the gap above that line.
| Drug and dose | On the drug | On placebo | Women vs men on the drug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zepbound 5 mg | 5% | 1% | 7.1% vs 0.5% (all doses pooled) |
| Zepbound 10 mg | 4% | 1% | Pooled above |
| Zepbound 15 mg | 5% | 1% | Pooled above |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg injection | 3.3% | 1% | 4% vs 0.9% |
| Wegovy 7.2 mg injection | 5.8% | 1.0% | 8.4% vs 0.2% |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg, ages 12 and older | 4% | 0% | Not given |
| Ozempic | No trial rate | No trial rate | Listed from reports after approval |
| Mounjaro | No trial rate | No trial rate | Listed from reports after approval |
Zepbound prescribing information, Table 1 and adverse reactions text [1]; Wegovy prescribing information, adverse reactions text and Tables 3 to 5 [2]; Ozempic and Mounjaro, section 6.2 [3] [4].
The Wegovy pill isn't listed separately. Its label says the common side effects in its trial were similar to the injection's, and that the hair-loss findings from the injection trials apply to both forms [2]. For the full side-effect picture on each drug, see Zepbound side effects and Wegovy side effects.
Both labels link it to weight loss, not to the drug itself
The two weight labels use the same words. Zepbound's says "Hair loss adverse reactions in ZEPBOUND-treated patients were associated with weight reduction" [1]. Wegovy's says the same of its injection [2]. Neither label claims the drug acts on hair follicles directly, and neither explains the link any further.
Studies outside the labels point the same way. A 2026 meta-analysis pooled 17 observational and drug-safety-report studies covering more than 1 million patient exposures. It found GLP-1 users had about 40% higher odds of non-scarring hair loss, driven mostly by telogen effluvium, the shedding that can follow a shock to the body such as rapid weight loss, illness or surgery [5]. Those are observational data, so they show an association, not proof of cause. A separate 2026 review describes this kind of shedding as mostly temporary [6].
Women reported it far more often than men
Both labels split the numbers by sex, and the gap is wide. In Zepbound's two main weight trials, 7.1% of women on the drug reported hair loss vs 0.5% of men; on placebo it was 1.3% vs 0% [1]. On Wegovy 2.4 mg it was 4% of women vs 0.9% of men, and on the 7.2 mg dose 8.4% vs 0.2% [2].
| Group | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Zepbound (5, 10 and 15 mg pooled) | 7.1% | 0.5% |
| Placebo in the Zepbound trials | 1.3% | 0% |
| Wegovy 2.4 mg | 4% | 0.9% |
| Wegovy 7.2 mg | 8.4% | 0.2% |
| Placebo in the Wegovy 7.2 mg trials | 1.5% | 0% |
Zepbound and Wegovy prescribing information, adverse reactions text [1] [2].
The labels don't say why women are more affected. If you're comparing programs that focus on women, our lineups of semaglutide programs for women and tirzepatide programs for women sort them by Healthspan Score.
On Wegovy, the higher dose came with more hair loss
Wegovy's label gives the clearest dose comparison. In the trials of the 7.2 mg dose, hair loss was reported by 5.8% on 7.2 mg, 3.3% on 2.4 mg and 1.0% on placebo [2]. People on 7.2 mg also lost more weight, so this fits the label's weight-reduction link. The label's starting and maximum doses are covered in Wegovy dosage.
Zepbound shows no clear dose pattern: 5% on 5 mg, 4% on 10 mg and 5% on 15 mg [1]. With rates that small, a one-point difference between doses doesn't tell you much.
Ozempic and Mounjaro list it only from reports after approval
Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for type 2 diabetes, and their trials didn't record hair loss often enough to make the main side-effect tables. Both labels list "alopecia" in section 6.2, the part that collects problems reported after the drug went on sale [3] [4].
That section carries a caveat on every label: these reports are made voluntarily "from a population of uncertain size," so it is not always possible to estimate how often the problem happens or to prove the drug caused it [3]. Put plainly, hair loss has been reported on both drugs, but there is no trial number for them. Ozempic is semaglutide and Mounjaro is tirzepatide, the same molecules as Wegovy and Zepbound, which do have trial numbers. More on each drug's safety record is in Ozempic safety and side effects and is Mounjaro safe?
Almost no one stopped treatment because of it
In Zepbound's two main weight trials, no one on Zepbound stopped treatment because of hair loss; one person on placebo did [1]. In Wegovy's 7.2 mg trials, hair loss led to one permanent stop, one temporary pause and five dose reductions on 7.2 mg, and none of these on 2.4 mg or placebo [2].
So for most people in the trials, hair loss was a side effect they lived with rather than a reason to quit. If it's bothering you, that's still worth raising. Whether a dose change makes sense is your prescriber's decision, not something to adjust on your own.
What to bring up with your prescriber
- When it started. Shedding that begins after a stretch of fast weight loss fits the pattern the labels describe.
- What it looks like. Diffuse thinning is different from patches, scarring or a new receding pattern; describe it, or show a photo.
- Other possible causes. Hair loss has many causes besides a GLP-1, and your clinician can check the ones that apply to you.
- Your dose and pace. Ask whether your current dose and rate of loss are right for you, rather than stopping or skipping doses.
One more point if your prescription is compounded. The trial rates above come from the brand drugs. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide skip FDA approval: no one at the FDA judges whether they are safe, whether they work, or how well they were made before a pharmacy sends them out. Their hair-loss rate has never been measured in a trial. Related changes in the face and skin are covered in Ozempic face, and muscle changes in do GLP-1s cause muscle loss?