Hair loss and breakage on MJ..

[HairMJ]

I’ve been on MJ since 2024, lost 100lbs, and I’ve now reached my goal but my hair is in a terrible state now.

It was never especially extra thick to begin with, but now it’s breaking and falling out so much that it looks really noticeable. The front is particularly bad and it’s getting harder to hide.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I was on it for 3 or 4 months before coming off TTC. In that period of time a huge amount of my hair fell out, it went from super thick and having lots of comments to being thin and my ears poking out. It was a huge very noticable difference, that was just over 18 months ago and it has only just very recently started to become slightly noticeably thicker.

I lost just over 2 stone in that period, I didnt have huge amounts to lose. My diet was and still is very varied and colourful, I have tried lots of different potions and pills since then. The only thing that is working is time.

I get my hair cut every 10-12 weeks, and look after it really well, it is the jabs.

I know quite a few other women that have experienced the same, it is such a shame. I wouldnt go back on the jabs after my baby is here due to that reason alone. The weight loss is not worth the severe hair fall and snapping.

If i had stayed on it much longer I honestly would have looked like Gollum. My hair was coming out in clumps. Really shocking, especially when I have always had so much hair!

Do you get a regular cut? Could you go for a shorter than normal cut to help it look a bit thicker?

I unfortunately have no magic solution as nothing worked for me.

Well done on the weight loss.
Hairloss is a well known side effect of WLI.
How are your food choices? Are you taking supplements and are you taking collagen?

It could be worth asking your GP for blood tests to rule out deficiencies such as anemia. Do you take a multi-vitamin with iron?

Hopefully your hair will improve now that you have hit your goal and don't need to eat in a calorie deficit. Do you think you could reduce your dose and maintain? That might also be worth a try.

Pretty sure I could pass as Gollum now.

My mother also took MJ for a while and she has thicker hair then me and you could see that it thinned a lot too!

I plan to cut it myself later, some of the length as its pointless currently.

I’ve been anaemic for years and take iron tablets, so that’s nothing new since starting MJ. I also have B12 injections from my GP every three months, which I was already having before MJ.

I know that’s likely why my hair was never particularly thick, but what I’m dealing with now feels on another level.

I also take B12 tablets, vitamin D3, and collagen, and I eat well... eggs, steak, greens, and chicken. I’ve been at my goal weight for four months now.

Try not to worry as it’s most likely a temporary issue.

Significant weight loss, (whether due to WLI or not) will often affect the normal hair growth cycle and result in more of the hair moving to the telogen effluvium stage than usual and it thinning and/or falling out.

As soon as your diet returns to normal, it should start growing again but obviously if you have long hair, it will take a while to reach any significant length.

I have very short hair (pixie) so it’s less noticeable on me.

Yep, I've lost 7 1/2st in 12 months, and my hair is knackered. I started using Minoxidil around 3 months ago, and am starting slowly see some regrowth now, but it's slow going. I also take pumpkin seed oil capsules and collagen, and use a batana oil overnight hair mask twice a week, which has made a massive difference. Its still thin, but the hair I do have left looks really silky and healthy now, even more than before. Oh, and I've also really upped my protein intake. I'm throwing everything I can at it, before I have to resort to a bloody wig!!

I don't think it's the actual MJ that causes the problem, more the rapid weight loss and lack of nutrients. So it is reversable with a bit of hair tlc and a better diet.

I have lost weight quickly before and never had an ounce of hair loss,2 months Into mounjaro it was coming out in clumps, it looks awful now a year on ,and so do I, thin, but Scraggy, I exercise but my face looks awful, I have very mixed feelings about mj,I lost weight really easily and fast,my joint pain disappeared,and I stopped drinking,
Downside,I'm finding it increasingly hard to get hold of to stay on and maintain,if I come off,the weight stays off,but the joint pain and drinking comes back,and I look 10 years older due to the thinnest hair I've ever had and a scrawny appearance.

Yep, I had loads of shedding after being on MJ for ~4 months, and my hair was very fine before so now it looks awful. The shedding stopped when I stopped taking MJ but I’ve recently restarted so am terrified of it happening again. I’m actually considering getting a hair topper 😔

Just to add, it is temporary but takes a while to sort out.

My hair used to be thick and just below the shoulder blades. About 30-40% fell out over the year it took me to lose 5 stone. I’m still taking a maintenance dose of 5mg.

However, my hair is growing back (6 months after stabilising my weight). I have an underlayer that is about 4’ all over and tie it back in a plait to hide the problem. By December, I expect to be able to join the two section up at collar length hair - happy Christmas me.

To add it is not necessary the injections, but the weight loss. Many forms of fairly rapid weight loss incur hair loss.

For me, it was a choice of size 20, thick hair and morbidly obese with painful arthritis.
Or size 10, whispy hair, ideal weight and fit an healthy… my choice.

I’ve been taking Callogen and vitamin supplements throughout- I’m not sure if it’s helped.

Hopefully, when it’s all grown “in” I’ll have the health benefits without further hair loss.

Its the Injections, My weight has been up and down my whole life and I have never experienced such extreme hair loss before.

People will try to tell you that it’s the weight loss not the jabs. But it is the jabs.

Mime doesn’t fall out any more but I’m not sure whether it’ll actually recover to how it was. Anyone know?

Get the topper!

I am having extensions fitted and no not bright blonde and down to my ass, just to add some volume and length to what I have😂

No idea, I am hoping it will when I come off the jab but who knows really!

I also agree, its the Jab!

It's telogen effluvium and it can happen in response to any sudden shock to your body's systems. I'm interested to see evidence for pp's confident assertion that it's the jabs, not the weight loss. It's almost impossible to separate them out and find direct causation.

It's distressing, I know, but it's temporary. Be very careful with extensions - they can cause traction alopecia and make the problem worse if they are very heavy or badly fitted.

Start using minoxidil

I’m not looking to debate whether it’s linked to the jab or not, I’m just sharing my experience. You do not have to agree.

The downside of using minoxidil is that once you start, any hair gained from it can shed again if you stop.

Mine got very thin, I stopped taking them in July last year and it's back to its old thickness now (albeit straggly at the ends - I've just been getting it chopped more regularly to get rid of the thinner stuff). I didn't change anything apart from trying rosemary oil on my scalp before washes for a few weeks - which I think helped, but I'm bad at sticking to routines so I quickly forgot haha.

I didn't disagree, I asked if there was new evidence on the subject.

If the hair loss is all over your scalp then it's almost certainly telogen effluvium, but if it's in distinct individual bald patches then it might be alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune condition and potentially treatable. A dermatologist would be able to advise. I hope you find a solution which works for you - I know it's distressing.