Zepbound working but at what costs

[Crisscat 169]

Just asking others on their thoughts with Zepbound?

Ive been on Zepbound since Feb 2024 and have lost more weight with this then my gastric sleeve surgery; however I can get the normal side effects nausea (its manageable) but I am really experiencing lots of hair loss! Anyone else losing their hair at a steady pace just like the weight loss? Im 56 so could be age induced as well and I have very fine hair anyway but even I am getting concerned with the amount I am losing especially on the top!

[SpartanMaker 807]

Hair loss is almost inevitable with significant weight loss due to a number of reasons such as lower Protein intake and lower levels of certain micronutrients such as Iron, niacin, etc. Stress and hormone changes are also leading causes of excess hair loss during weight loss.

This is true regardless of how you lost weight, thus it's not unique to Zepound or any other GLP-1 drug.

The good news is that it typically will come back once you go off the diet.

[NickelChip 1,284]

My surgery-induced Hair loss has only just started to turn around, so I know what you are going through and how distressing it can be. I have done two things to help. One is using minoxidil every night before bed. I found a 3-pack on Amazon of a spray (not a foam, which I find too messy) that is so easy to use and costs under $40. For a woman's dose (4 squirts per day), each bottle is supposed to last 60 days. I find it doesn't last quite that long, but I probably get about 6 weeks out of each bottle, making it cost maybe $2.50 a week. I've been using it about 14 weeks and I am seeing tons of regrowth, I would say definitely beyond what I lost. The hair is all short right now, a couple inches in length, but by the summer I hope it will be closer to my above the shoulder hair length.

Which beings me to my second trick: hats. I live in a cold weather climate and I bought a bunch of hats, although I had some wide fabric headbands and crocheted bandanas in the fall when it was warmer that also got the job done. Not sure if you are male or female, but for women's styles, try searching for either "slouch caps" or "chemo headwear" online for some lighter weight hats that can help you hide the thinning until it reverses and that are comfortable indoors. Once your weight loss slows, the hair should regrow even on a maintenance dose of Zepbound. It just takes time, way longer than you think!

Oh, I should say I had my surgery in Feb 2024, so in terms of when my major weight loss was happening, I'm betting we're at kind of the same stage with the hair loss. And I'm almost 51, so ditto on the age-related issues. But the minoxidil is a game changer.

Edited 6 hours ago by NickelChip

[SpartanMaker 807]

Most doctors wouldn't recommend Minoxidll for Acute Telogen Effluvium (the type of Hair loss that happens during rapid weight loss), because there's little scientific evidence that it actually does much of anything for this condition. In addition, Minoxidll can actually cause Telogen Effluvium either when beginning treatment, and/or when stopping treatment.

Keep in mind this drug was actually originally developed as vasodilator, but it was noted to promote Hair growth for patients suffering from androgenic alopecia, a completely different type of hair loss.

While you certainty can try it, Acute Telogen Effluvium will resolve on its own once the weight loss stops and there is some risk it won't do anything, or even might make the problem worse.

I'd honestly suggest talking to a dermatologist if your hair loss is concerning enough you are considering medication.

Just my .02.

[NickelChip 1,284]

15 minutes ago, SpartanMaker said:

Most doctors wouldn't recommend Minoxidll for Acute Telogen Effluvium (the type of Hair loss that happens during rapid weight loss), because there's little scientific evidence that it actually does much of anything for this condition. In addition, Minoxidll can actually cause Telogen Effluvium either when beginning treatment, and/or when stopping treatment.

Keep in mind this drug was actually originally developed as vasodilator, but it was noted to promote Hair growth for patients suffering from androgenic alopecia, a completely different type of hair loss.

While you certainty can try it, Acute Telogen Effluvium will resolve on its own once the weight loss stops and there is some risk it won't do anything, or even might make the problem worse.

I'd honestly suggest talking to a dermatologist if your Hair loss is concerning enough you are considering medication.

Just my .02.

I probably should have said more clearly that the minoxidil suggestion was because OP thought some of the thinning was age related. I also had age-related/thyroid related thinning, so when the expected additional thinning happened after surgery, the result was shocking. I decided to use the minoxidil at that point, knowing that it was not going to do anything for the surgery-related loss and that it would be something I would need to continue for the rest of my life. I completely agree that if it's just the temporary weight-loss/surgery related hair loss, minoxidil is not the right choice. But if you already were concerned about hair thinning prior to surgery, it's something to consider. I also had almost no eyebrows (pre-surgery, for many years, because of thyroid) and daily minoxidil treatment has started to bring those back.