Severe hair loss

[Movinginthesunlight]

I started taking mounjaro in August and stopped at the end of November. I'm not at my goal weight, but the cost stopped me going further.
The past three or so months I've noticed my hair falling out a lot, particularly the last month, it's a lot. I used to have a thick head of hair, it was one of my best assets and people commented on it. I must have lost at least half of it, it's straggly and now my ears poke through! This is so so far from what it was a few months ago.

I've always eaten a colourful diet (just previously too much of it!), I started taking multi vitamins and collagen a few months ago. I use good shampoo either kerastase or olaplex. I've recently bought the rosemary oil that everyone raves about too.

What in earth can I do to stop this ? And how can I encourage more growth?

My weight loss has plateau since I stopped the mounjaro in November.

I'm about 1.5 stone away from goal.
I'm also taking omega 3 6 9.

Final point - I get my hair cut every 8 weeks

It's the weight loss itself not the Mounjaro that's causing it. I have had similar happen, the rate of hair loss has now slowed down and I'm noticing a lot of short regrowth. So unfortunately I don't think there's much you can do other than wait it out. People will often suggest collagen supplements but there's no evidence they work. I have always taken multivitamins and omega 3 6 9, so that hasn't made a difference for me.

Sadly this happened to me too and is only just showing signs of tapering off. When hair loss is mentioned with use of a GLP1 medication like Mounjaro, it is always said “the hair loss is due to rapid weight loss”, and whilst this can be the case for some, I know of many, many other people who used a medication, lost very little weight and still lost a great deal of hair, so in my opinion, it is something the medication triggers.

I started it in June last year, by August my hair began to fall out and is only just showing signs of slowing down now. It’s called Telogen Effluvium and is usually caused by a shock to the body (medication, weight loss, illness) and shows up around 3 months after the initial trigger. Google TE for the specifics as it’s too much to write here.

The advice I would give you to minimise the hair loss (sadly you can’t stop it, and a cycle of TE normally lasts for around 6 months before correcting itself) is:
1- Don’t think that washing your hair any less will stop it. It won’t. It is important to try to keep your scalp clean and inflammation-free to prevent any irritation during the shedding phase.
2- Take Biotin tablets and Collagen Peptides in your morning coffee/tea ever single day.
3- Take a good multivitamin every day.
4- Use a derma roller very gently all over your scalp twice a week and follow by massaging rosemary oil in to your scalp, wrapping in cling film or a shower cap and leaving as long as possible before washing out. Rosemary oil is proven to promote hair growth.
5- Try using Nizoral (the anti-dandruff shampoo) as a pre wash treatment (leave on for up 15 mins) twice a week. Again, the ingredients in this are proven to help prevent hair loss and it doesn’t matter whether you have dandruff or not.
6- I have also been taking Pumpkinseed Oil capsules which were also recommended to stop hair fall.

Keep going to the hair salon as you normally would, and, as hard as it is, try your very best not to stress too much over it. Stress makes it worse. I noticed that when I accepted it and worried about it less I started to notice a very fine layer of new baby hairs poking up along my parting. This was my sign that it was coming to an end. I was losing clumps when brushing and showering at its worst. Now it’s just a few hairs each time. It WILL get better, you just have to wait it out and treat your head and hair kindly in the interim. If I’d known Mounjaro would have caused this, I’d NEVER have taken it, but we live and learn. Good luck to you x

I knew thar hair loss was a possibility when losing weight, and I would take it time and again as the price for being able to lose 7st and stop being morbidly obese. It will grow back, it's not a permanent change.

Biotin is one I'd recommend, I'm also taking B12 and D in oral sprays which have improved my energy and sleep. After a month of the hair and skin gummies with high biotin, selenium and zinc in it from Holland and barrett my hairdresser said my hair is thick and glossy and she can see lots of regrowth. I was only taking 1 a day rather than the recommended 2 a day. Have bought cheaper hair and skin tablets now from amazon which have biotin, selenium and zinc in.

Is weight loss too fast? So, lack of nutrients?

It is not necessarily rapid weightloss, but it is commonly (misleadingly) bundled up into that description for ease. Even mild weightloss can trigger hair loss. Mounjaro is also impacting so many parts of the way our body works and when it responds it does so protecting critical functions and hair isn't one of them.

The slowing of, or changes in digestion, if too much can affect the absorption of some nutrients/vitamins. Indirect metabolic changes from weightloss or hormone changes, changes to thyroid. Diet changes, can affect nutrients that are being consumed or cause low blood sugar both of which can affect hair. Too few carbs (they have a protein sparing effect) can cause hair loss. Even the resolution of previous inflammation which many see with Mounjaro can temporarily disrupt the hair growing cycle. If doesn't take much time for changes to disrupt the cycle and trigger hair loss and it can take months to either appear and/or recover.

A nutrient rich diet and/or supplements, paying attention to scalp health to remove any build up on follicles/improve circulation, clinically proven hair growth products might help (minoxidil - regaine, KCZ shampoo - Nizoral, perhaps caffeine shampoo, rosemary oil - I personally found that messy but it works for some and has similar results to minoxidil). If you are looking for hair growth don't waste your money on unproven claims - or cosmetic products that make existing hair feel nice but don't promote new growth - search for clinically proven studies on things that work (although unfortunately they still don't work for everyone) and use them consistently for at least 6 months to see if they work for you.

I am trying to be patient, from what I read it could take up to 6 months for new baby hairs to start showing - I can see some coming through and sticking up on my left temple, but my right temple is still painfully thin with a small bald spot that dips in on my hairline).

Thanks all

Maybe it is the Olaplex.
Google this along with 'hair loss;'
the results are interesting.