Hair loss

[Dutchhouse14]

Had a family photo taken on a windy day, hair blowing behind me and I was shocked to see it looks like Im going bald!
My hairline is receeding, particularly at the temples.
Ive been on MJ since end of May and slowly lost 3 stone.
Im mid 50s , menopausal so probably perfect storm for hair loss.
Also colour my hair /grey roots reguarly so maybe this doesnt help either?
I havent noticed lots of hair loss when brushing or washing my hair so was really shocked by the photo.
Bit of a wake up call-Im slimmer but going bald!!!!
Has anyone else had this in MJ?
Anything helped? Supplements, shampoos etc? Ive just panic bought regaine for women!
Just wondered if I stopped taking MJ it will grow back.
Of course this is making the assumption it is MJ thats caused it.
My mum in her eighties has also lost a lot of her hair and shes never been on WLI -so maybe its genetic? But I think she was older when it happened to her. We both have fine hair .
Any advice or shared experience greatly received!

Mj doesn’t cause it, they can’t find any direct link, but it is a side effect of weight loss for some people and is listed on the leaflet as seen in weight loss patients, it’s not seen on patients who don’t lose weight. It’s quite common

it stops 3-6 months after you stop losing weight. Philip Kingsley hair density products help. I had it to a very minor extent, and stopped losing weight about a year ago, I have long hair and now have bits about 6 inches long in the midst of it, as it grows back

if it does look like balding and you’ve it bad, then you can try hair toppers or extensions. I’ve always used hair toppers, when going out socially, even when my hair was totally fine, just a very small one which is 4 inches at its base, anything else is too much, women have used hair pieces for decades, totally indetectable and gives me some more volume at the crown and makes me look like I’ve really thick swishy hair.

for your health getting the weight off is key, but make sure you eat your protein and your diet is healthy, manage your hair, and it will grow back.

As per pp, it is weight loss not mounjaro itself.
Will stabilise again when your weight stabilises.
However, worth checking your iron levels on a blood test.
Hair loss is always my first sign of low iron (had it several times, including when not losing weight) and it resolves once gp prescribes an iron supplement.

Yep, I had bad hair shedding which started about four months after starting MJ. I firmly believe it was a direct SE of the drug itself, not the weight loss, despite it not being listed YET as a SE, as I’ve lost weight many times before and never experienced hair loss, and I’ve also spoken to many other people on MJ who believe the same. Either way, I stopped taking MJ two or three months ago and the shedding has really slowed down now, thankfully!

I lost loads of hair about halfway into my MJ journey, it was coming out in handfuls, and was all over my clothes, the bath etc. I tried various supplements, shampoos etc and the only thing that worked for me was pumpkin seed oil capsules. I take 3 a day and within a month of taking them the hair loss slowed and then stopped completely. I now have lots of new hair growing, it looks so much thicker and fuller and I have continued to take MJ throughout.

I will grow back, it’s a fast weightloss thing, not a WLM thing.

My hair is also awful. So thin now. Can I ask @MummyInTheNecropolis which capsules you use? Thanks

@Serasar they’re just cheap ones from Amazon but they seem to do the trick! They’re also really good for bladder weakness.

https://amzn.eu/d/0dF6aROL these are the ones I have

Would you share your recommendation for hair toppers? I’ve researched and been overwhelmed by the options! Thank you.

Thank you @MummyInTheNecropolis. I shall order some. I don’t think I’ve had such little hair since I was a small child!

I use these, I dye to match my own hair exactly, and I place about an inch back on my head, so my hair covers it at the front, it is like having an extra later of hair, and just makes it look all swishy and thick.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CHRRH9XD?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

My DD lost a lot of hair when she lost three stone (not using WLI)

As PP have explained, it’s not the Mounjaro. It’s the weight loss.

The scientists can find no direct link at all, and people who don’t lose weight on it don’t lose it.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321590

as much as it may not have happened before, are you sure you lost weight before at the same consistent pace using the same foods?

@Wildgoat I obviously can’t say with 100% certainty that my hair loss was as a direct SE of MJ, but I was only losing ~1lb per week on MJ, so not rapid loss, and my diet on MJ contained more protein than past diets. I guess time will tell whether it comes out as a direct SE..

Are you being careful to ensure that the reduced appetite caused by WLI does not mean that you're nutritionally deficient?
Every meal has to earn its keep, doesn't it?

If you’re not eating enough and are losing weight too quickly you will lose hair. Ensure you’re getting sufficient protein and enough calories for base level function… or the body stops doing things that use energy it’s trying to conserve. Like making hair.

I've had similar problems. I used to have lovely thick hair now it is thinning really badly. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror in the shops the other day and couldn't believe how patchy my hair now is around my parting. I think my ponytail is half the thickness it was before starting monjouro back in July.

I'm sure it's a direct side effect of the drug rather than weight loss as mine hasn't been particularly rapid, I'm eating well, taking supplements etc. I've never had problems with hair loss when on diets before.

Thanks all, @MummyInTheNecropolis Ive bought the pumpkin oil capsules to try.
@RockChik @NeedSleepNow I am also losing weight slowly- not the rapid weight loss some on MJ have had - Ive lost 3 stone in 11 months. Of course that does mean Ive been in calorie deficit for a prolonged period and as Im short, female and in my 50s my TDEE is only 1600 calories a day, so calorie intake does need to be low to lose any weight. Im going to start taking supplements and make sure Im getting a balanced diet. Menopause probably doesnt help either. Its just depressing for the weight loss to impact so negatively on my hair.
Im hoping as I wean myself off it my hair will recover.
Be interesting to know if the hair loss is a side effect that impacts some more than others, depending on sex, age, strength of dose, length of time on WLI etc

Hair loss/ alopecia is listed as a common side affect with Mounjaro in the British national formulary (bnf). It is also associated with weight loss. My gp just said to plateau for a bit to see if it helps. Menopause also can cause hair loss!!

Try some of the tips in these videos Hair loss. I now have hair growth following a loss when using mounjaro (and being menopausal with PCOS)

Every woman I know who has been on Mounjaro has said they’ve suffered hair loss (not loads, I only know of 4 people!!). I’d love to give it a try because I’m overweight but I can’t risk the hair loss, mine is thin already. For my mum it was so bad she ended up going to get a hair piece (can’t think what it’s called - where they stitch it to the hair you already have, so it’s a permanent thing).

Try Nutrition Geeks supplements, I take the Biotin tablets because I worry about my hair. If you’re buying supplements you need to make sure they contain enough in them to actually make a difference, some of the shop bought products contain so little they’re never going to work, it does need a bit of research.

I’ve been on MJ for 15 months or so and lost just over 3.5 stones, so only at about 1lb a week. I’m planning on coming off it soon, bloody costs too much, but am happy with being 10st now. I noticed about 6 months in I had terrible shedding, which probably coincided with being on the highest doses. After the stupid price increases, and panic buying/shortages, I went back to a lower dose and have stayed on that for the last 4months. I was panicking as I could see the clumps of hair on the carpet where I comb it, and would be picking it up everyday……also noticed my ponytail barely half what it was (not particularly thick to start with). The shedding seems to have abated a bit, I’m post menopause so hair had been a bit thinner in recent years but couldn’t risk losing more. I really hope it eventually gets back to normal……for all our sakes!

I am not on weight loss jabs but have recently had a baby and lost the weight I gained during pregnancy and my hair is shredding at an alarming rate. I think it’s just weight loss rather than how you lost it. I have had a baby before and remember the same thing happened after losing the baby weight so I’m not worried as it wasn’t permanent.

I agree with others that the hair loss is a direct result of MJ. I've also lost a lot of weight multiple times in the past and I've never had this level of hair loss. And I never lost more than 1-2 pounds a week across my 10 month journey. I've been in maintenance since November and I'm still losing hair. However I've decided it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, being slim is wonderful! I'm going to order those pumpkin oil tablets to see if they help, thank you!

This is quite a known post partum issue - it’s temporary, and things will return to normal…….