Scientists Uncover Strange Effect Ozempic Might Have on Your Hair - Gizmodo

What the report says

Gizmodo reported that a new University of Pennsylvania study has found a possible link between GLP-1 drugs and hair loss among people being treated for type 2 diabetes. The article, published July 23, 2026, focuses on medications including semaglutide and tirzepatide, the drug classes associated with Ozempic and Zepbound, which are widely used for diabetes and increasingly for weight loss.

According to Gizmodo, researchers reviewed Penn Medicine medical records for about 12,000 people with type 2 diabetes who began taking a GLP-1 medication from 2019 to 2024. They compared those patients with similarly sized groups prescribed two other diabetes drug classes, SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors, with average follow-up lasting roughly two to three years. After adjusting for variables such as age and sex, GLP-1 users were reported to have a higher later incidence of alopecia: 37% higher than SGLT-2 users and 68% higher than DPP-4 users.

The reported risk remained small in absolute terms. Gizmodo noted that about 200 of the roughly 12,000 GLP-1 users developed alopecia during the study period, or around 1.6%. The study, published Wednesday in The BMJ, was observational and retrospective, meaning it can identify an association but cannot prove the medication caused hair loss.

The researchers said the pattern was mainly tied to non-scarring alopecia, a form in which hair follicles remain intact and regrowth may occur. Gizmodo reported that possible explanations include rapid or substantial weight loss, reduced calorie intake, nutrient deficiencies, or other hormonal or immune effects. The findings matter because GLP-1 use is expanding, and clinicians may need to discuss even uncommon side effects with patients.