Need reassurance over hairloss

[Changingnameagain]

I began MJ start of Jan. I have lost 5 stone so far. Big losses in first month but slower and steadier since. I'm eating between 1200 and 1500 cals a day and across 7 months my loss is averaging at 2.8lbs a week which I don't think is outrageous or extreme. The last 6 weeks I've really begun to notice my hair shedding. My hair has always been insanely thick and when hold my hand around it now it feels half the thickness. I always used to shed hair quite a bit before MJ but it never seemed to impact thickness but now it is definitely noticeable my hair is not as full. I've read online that many experience similar and so it is likely caused by the meds themselves. Others say that it is due to rapid weight loss - but my loss is now 1.5lbs a week maybe only 0.5-1lb a week sometimes. I am still on 5mg dose as I was reluctant to increase and risk side effects and was still losing every week albeit not big losses.
Anyone else had similar? Did the shedding eventually slow down? Has your hair come back to similar thickness? I'm worried I may need to end my journey. I have 3st more to lose in terms of my goal. I'm on cusp of moving from obese BMI to overweight and would rather remain overweight than risk losing more of my hair. It is really stressing me out.

Yes unfortunately it's a very common side effect. My sister is taking MJ and she used to have really thick long hair. She now has hair that's noticeably much thinner and also has lots of breakage around her hairline. She takes high strength biotin tablets and spends a fortune on hair masks and protein treatments.

Not hair related but the other recent side effect she's noticed is that it takes a lot more effort to swallow food/medication. She's not in pain but it requires extra effort to swallow food, and extra water than usual to take tablets.

I never had this, thank heavens, as my hair is fine to start with so not speaking from experience but just a couple of thoughts.
Are you eating enough and is it well-balanced with enough protein? Hair loss can be the body's reaction to the medication or the shock of reduced calories or a nutritional imbalance. Calculate your TDEE and subtract 500 to find your minimum daily calories and aim for 100g protein a day if possible
You can get supplements like B vitamins and biotin that some people think may help

It’s just my experience, but I had a period of hair loss, about 3 months into taking Mounjaro, lasted for about it 3 months and then gradually improved and is now totally resolved. I didn’t take any supplements or use any other treatments for hair loss, it just sorted itself out.

Thanks both. I've bought a collagen glow up powder from nutrition geeks and also bought a Biotin+Zinc+Selenium from them.
Typical day I have
Actimel
Some melon
Protein yoghurt
Eat natural protein nut bar or 2 boiled eggs
Then chicken and sweet potato fries for dinner

Fruit pastilles lolly for pud

I definitely don't eat enough fruit and veg. I am AuDHD and struggle with food generally- I get obsessed with certain foods and then repulsed by them and generally gravitate towards brown and crispy foods. The MJ has been a godsend because it has allowed me to cut sweets and junk food. I just don't crave it at all unlike before. I log my food On my fitness pal most days so just having a scroll and I can see that I eat between 50-75g protein a day.
So nowhere near 100g.
Beyond eating more Skyr yoghurt I'm not sure what to eat to up my protein intake. I don't like protein shakes.

@SilenceInside thank you for sharing. Hopefully mine slows up soon as it has definitely hit a point now where people are noticing and asking if I've had my hair cut etc when I haven't. They're just noticing it is thinner and less bouncy 😭

From what I've read it's caused by the quick weight-loss and is delayed (telogen effluvium). So perhaps it's due to the January weight-loss and not the more recent 1lb a week?
Yes, you need a good range of amino acids (from different protein sources) but also minerals and vitamins for the body to absorb and use them.

Hi, it's not the Mounjaro it's weight loss in general. Last time I lost nearly 4 and a half stone on slimming world my hair started thinning. I maintained around a year before putting more on and in that year it seemed to sort itself out I put 2 stone of that back on and I started Mounjaro in March this year, had a steady loss of around a kilo a week and it's just started thinning again in the last few weeks. It's driving me mad handfuls everytime I brush it. I'm hoping it sorts itself out again like last time as I still want to loose another few stone.

Weight loss causes hair loss. I’ve just ordered the glowwa hair food (it’s meant to be amazing and is recommended to me by my hairdresser!), and I have hair extensions.

Like you I have very thick hair and have lost about half of it over the year I've been taking MJ. I find it goes in cycles of losing loads then nothing for a bit, then losing handfuls again. I am getting plenty of regrowth though and I'm almost at goal weight. I think give it a few months it'll be back to normal. In the meantime I'm just styling it to add volume rather than doing everything in my power to flatten it. Very strange after 40 odd years of having massive hair.

I lost half my hair after I had my daughter 8 years ago. It all grew back, so based on that im just riding it out for now.

It’s telogen effluvium, and it’s caused by weightloss, not Mounjaro.

It will recover.

You're not eating enough, you're losing too quickly and as a result you're slightly malnourished which is resulting in hair loss. Increase your calories to 500 under TDEE minimum and focus on eating enough protein (1.2g per kg of body weight) and your weight loss will slow but you'll be much healthier

I lost a lot of weight many years ago, something like 3 or 4 stone in 6 months. I lost a lot of hair. it continued for up to 12 months, and never really recovered to what it was, although it’s probably only noticeable to me and not other people.

So I think it’s the weight loss, and not the MJ.

I’ve lost loads from about month 3 and now 9ish months in still losing handfuls. Surprised I’ve got any hair left tbh! Don’t seem to have short wisps of regrowth anywhere either.
Anyway, it’s a small price to pay for me, I had lots of very thick hair so doubt anyone but me would ever notice. Can’t say it’s not been alarming at times but I’m used to it now.

It’s being researched now as an actual side effect of the drug

That’s interesting @notnorman, is it Eli Lilly who are doing that research?

I lost 1/3 of my hair but it’s growing back now. It was pretty gut wrenching seeing it in the bath every day.

I’ve been on Mounjaro for over a year and like you, debated stopping because of the hair loss. I must have lost about 50% of my hair (luckily it was really thick before).

I did notice that it slowed down around 2/3 months after I started maintaining my weight. Also, a good haircut seemed to help as it was the ends that were so thin.

I take Biotin, multivitamins, Kerastase shampoo/ conditioner and use Champo growth serum and have noticed a difference but again, unsure if it’s just because I’m now maintaining.

I've been on it since last June. I lost hair during the highest dose, but this was also the time of my greatest loss, so either could be the cause, from around Sept-Dec. I'm just on for maintenance now and my hair is back to normal.

I've been losing quite a bit of hair in the shower but wasn't sure whether it's perimenopause or the jabs. I've started using Routine shampoo and conditioner and thats definitely helped

Yes it’s part of research at uni of Manchester

Is it the SURMOUNT-REAL UK trial @notnorman that's due to start later this year? Is it looking specifically at side effects?

This condition is very common with weight loss, it’s called telogen effluvium basically the weight loss has caused “stress” to your body and has shifted more of your hair follicles into the telgoen (shedding) phase. It should grow back once your hair cycle is back in even keel. I had this when I got covid and 3 months later handfuls were coming out, probably lost 30-40% of my hair was very distressing. Luckily it’s growing back but now I have a halo of shorter new growth all over my crown and hairline

Another thing, @Changingnameagain, if you can afford it. The Kerastase genesis serum is supposed to be incredible for hair loss - but you need to keep using it, as it has an ingredient that is very similar to minoxidil in it

This is common as others have said. I lost 5st, the first 3st very quickly and I previously had very think hair and I'm sure I lost half! I was so worried at the time but its stopped now. I've been taking biotin and collagen and I now have lots of regrowth which started about 3 months after starting to take it.