When Branneisha Cooper first started taking the GLP-1 injection Munjaro in late 2022, she read online that it could cause temporary hair loss and prepared for the worst.
However, it took about a year before she started noticing that her hair was clumping and falling out. Cooper said it was especially shocking because she has always had thick hair.
Cooper, 29, told CNBC: “I really hoped that wouldn’t happen.” “What my health care provider told me is that you’re taking drugs that make you lose weight faster, so that could be the cause of your hair loss.”
Desperate to combat the side effects, Cooper said she began prioritizing protein in her diet, taking vitamins meant to help her hair and investing in hair care products meant to stimulate her scalp and promote growth.
She is one of a growing number of GLP-1 users experiencing temporary drug-induced hair loss, creating a new market for hair treatment products amid the weight loss drug boom.
Cooper turned to social media for support and discovered that other GLP-1 users were having similar experiences. The topic wasn’t talked about very often when her weight loss journey first started, but with the rise of GLP-1, more people started flocking to her page for sympathy and strategy.
“A lot of people want to know how to deal with this problem, but a lot of people also want to know how to prevent it, and I don’t have an answer for that,” Cooper said.
According to Gallup, the use of GLP-1 drugs has more than doubled since the beginning of 2024. The KFF Health Tracker found that approximately 1 in 8 U.S. adults, or nearly 13%, are currently taking GLP-1 drugs.
JPMorgan predicts that about 25 million Americans will be taking GLP-1 by 2030, up from just 5 million in 2023.
profit in loss
Many GLP-1 users have seen significant results in weight loss. However, drugs also come with many side effects.
Zepbound is manufactured by a pharmaceutical giant Eli Lillywhich advertises common side effects on its website, including hair loss, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and more. Munjaro, another Lilly drug, warns of similar side effects. novo nordiskOzempic. Wegovy also includes hair loss as a possible side effect.
According to Dr. Heather Woolley-Lloyd, dermatologist and chief medical advisor for hair care brand Nutrafall, this is a common risk with any type of significant weight loss due to body changes.
“When you’re losing weight through GLP-1 or other forms of weight loss, you may be taking in less nutrients and protein, and weight loss itself can be a stressor,” she told CNBC.
According to Circana, these consumers are increasingly seeking solutions that reduce physical processes. The Chicago-based market research firm estimates that GLP-1 households spend about 30% more on beauty products than non-GLP-1 households.
“Hair removal solutions continue to be a prominent growth area in hair care, supported by prolonged consumer stress since the pandemic and the use of GLP‑1 medicines emerging as a gradual tailwind,” said Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor at Circana. “Many GLP-1 users report temporary hair loss, leading to increased demand for home hair growth treatments, scalp serums, and supplements.”
Woolie-Lloyd says the hit to confidence caused by hair loss for GLP-1 users can mean further stress.
Her practice has seen a noticeable increase in the number of patients coming to the clinic specifically with concerns about hair loss, many of which she says are due to side effects of GLP-1. Woolley-Lloyd said the last time she saw an influx of patients with these concerns was during the pandemic, as the body was put under an unexpected amount of stress.
GLP-1 hair loss is one of the most serious side effects the beauty industry is looking at, according to Audrey DePrater Montasser, global beauty industry leader at Accenture.
“GLP-1 has not only changed the way people lose weight, it has changed the way consumers expect beauty and personal care to deal with this situation,” she told CNBC, adding that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
Depraeter-Montacel said the size of the GLP-1 market is “unprecedented” and said the opportunities in the hair treatment market with this growing population will set the stage for innovation.
“On the life sciences side, we are seeing many pharmaceutical brands raising capital to pursue innovation and new solutions,” she said. “A lot of money has been raised in the name of this opportunity. I think the fact that investors are putting money in from both sides confirms that there is definitely a commercial opportunity here.”
Depraeter-Montaser said consumers entering the GLP-1 hair treatment market are also persistent. These customers are expected to be loyal, as hair treatment products often take several months to take effect.
Market entry
Brands are paying attention. Early April, Ulta CEO Kecia Steelman told Yahoo Finance that the company is seeing more consumers purchasing hair treatment products as part of the GLP-1 boom.
Hair care company owned by Redken lorealhas developed an entire line of hair treatments specifically for consumers with thinning hair called the Acidic Glow Full System.
“We wanted to make sure the Acidic Glow Full System Series was tested with this specific population of GLP-1 users because they may have unique hair care needs,” Mounia Tahiri, Redken’s U.S. general manager, told CNBC. “(It was) tested on current GLP-1 users, who immediately noticed that their hair looked fuller and felt thicker when using the product.”
Tahiri said the company has also seen an increase in Google searches for hair loss and weight loss drugs and plans to continue innovating its hair treatment products to match the growing GLP-1 population.
Nutrafol CEO Cindy Gustafson told CNBC that hair care brands are seeing an increase in demand for hair health products as well.
“Although no achievements have been reported related to the use of GLP-1, overall growth is being driven by increased awareness and a shift towards personalized, clinically supported solutions,” she said.
Gustafsson said the company expects this growth to continue as more people start taking GLP-1 and looking for products to prevent or control hair thinning.
Another scalp health company, KeraFactor, told CNBC that its direct-to-consumer stores are experiencing 100% year-over-year growth due to increased interest from GLP-1 users.
“During COVID-19, we saw a lot of hair loss. So this was the first kind of surge in patients coming to KeraFactor, but after COVID-19, things have calmed down somewhat,” Lauren Bartholomeusch, the company’s chief commercial officer, told CNBC. “And now with the GLP-1 epidemic, it’s happening again.”
Bartolomeusch said Kerafactor has changed the way patients are treated from a more preventive perspective, getting ahead of any hair loss that may occur while taking the drug.
For Cooper, a 29-year-old GLP-1 user, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
She has tried a variety of hair products over the past three years, taking weight loss pills in hopes of getting her hair back to its original thickness.
“I’ve been paying attention to it for about a year now, and I’ve noticed it’s coming back,” Cooper said. “A lot of people get worried when they lose their hair, thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to be bald forever.’ But my hair would come back, so that was a relief. But it was scary.”
