Can you regrow your hair after losing it from taking weight loss medications?
Weight loss medications are on the rise. While these medications can cause people who use them to lose weight rapidly, they can also lead to hair loss. Dermatologist and director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Oyetewa Asempa, explains why this happens and how long it could take for your hair to regrow.
Question: Why do people lose their hair so quickly after using weight loss medications?
Answer: Hair loss from weight loss medications is a condition called telogen effluvium. It is a stress-induced hair loss where rapid weight loss and calorie restriction can trigger hairs to leave the growing phase and enter the resting phase early.
Q: Is there something people can do proactively to prevent hair loss? Are there any supplements people can take?
A: We don’t have enough data to say with certainty what will prevent hair loss, but we recommend losing weight in a slow and steady fashion, instead of super quickly.
Patients should make sure to get enough protein (at least 60 grams a day). Supplements can help if you have vitamin deficiencies. I typically test a person’s iron, thyroid function, vitamin D and zinc levels. Zinc, folic acid and ferritin deficiencies specifically have been associated with hair loss after weight loss surgeries in the studies.
No medications have proven effective for preventing telogen effluvium, but over-the-counter minoxidil 2%, or 5% foam or solution, may accelerate recovery.
Q: How long can it take for someone’s hair to regrow after using weight loss medications? Is this hair loss temporary?
A: Hair loss typically begins two to four months after starting rapid weight loss and normalizes about six to nine months after the weight stabilizes and nutritional status improves. The hair loss and shedding are temporary but will typically continue as long as the person is actively losing weight.
Q: What is considered too much hair loss after using these medications?
A: Normal daily shedding is about 50 to 100 scalp hairs per day. Telogen effluvium can cause loss of more than 200 scalp hairs daily. Patients typically notice clumps of hair coming out of their head while in the shower or when brushing their hair.
Q: When should someone see a dermatologist for their hair loss?
A: It’s extremely important to see a dermatologist as soon as possible if you have bald spots, itching, burning, tenderness or pain in the scalp; shedding that lasts beyond six to nine months after you correct the hair loss triggers; or overall if you are worried about hair loss for any reason.
By Taylor Barnes
