GLP-1 & your hair
Which GLP-1 Causes the Least Hair Loss? Every Label Lists Hair Loss
On the shot or about to start? Every shot can thin your hair. Here's why, and what to take for it.
- No shot is easy on hair. Every label lists hair loss.
- Fast weight loss is what sets it off.
- Women get it far more often than men.
- 5 things women take for it, checked on the same 5 points. One gets all 5 right.
No shot is easy on hair. Every GLP-1 label lists hair loss. What matters most is how fast the weight comes off.
Women get it far more often than men. Pick your shot with your doctor. Whichever one you pick, the same things help your hair.
You're about to start a GLP-1, or you're on one and thinking of switching. Either way, you want the one that's easiest on your hair.
The drug labels answer that. Most people never read them.
The labelsWhat the labels say about hair
Every GLP-1 comes with a label from the FDA. That's the government office that approves drugs.
The label lists the side effects people had in the big studies. Here's what each FDA label says about hair.
| Shot or pill | Lists hair loss? | The label also says |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy shot | Yes | More hair loss on the higher dose |
| Zepbound shot | Yes | Women far more than men |
| Foundayo pill | Yes | Women far more than men |
| Ozempic shot | Yes | – |
| Mounjaro shot | Yes | – |
Ozempic and Mounjaro are the diabetes versions of Wegovy and Zepbound.
So every one of these lists hair loss. It doesn't matter much which one you're on.
What matters is how fast the weight comes off. Fast weight loss sets off shedding, hair falling out all over.
You can see it on Wegovy. The higher dose takes more weight off, and more people lost hair on it.
And it happens to women far more than men. On the Zepbound label, women got it about 14 times as often.
Why the top thinsWhat's going on
Your hair can change in two ways on a GLP-1. The first is shedding, often around month 3. It usually settles by itself.
The second is thinning on top. That one doesn't settle by itself.
Your body makes two hormones that matter for the hair on top. Estrogen is one. Every woman makes it, and one of its jobs is guarding the hair roots.
The other is DHT. Your body makes it from testosterone. Women make a little of that too. DHT shrinks the hair roots on top, so each new hair comes in thinner.
The two pull against each other. While estrogen is up, DHT loses. When estrogen drops, DHT wins on top.
On a GLP-1, that happens in three steps.
- 1Estrogen guards the top
It keeps DHT away from the roots on top.
- 2The shot takes fat fast
Part of your estrogen is made in fat, so it drops too.
- 3The top thins, the back doesn't
DHT reaches the roots on top, and each new hair grows in thinner.
Before you pickHow you got here
You've read the posts online. Women lose hair on every shot, and their stories don't agree.
One woman sheds on one shot and grows it back on the next. Another switches and keeps shedding.
Switched to Zepbound, still losing hair.
A woman on Reddit who changed shots
The labels explain why. Hair loss goes with how fast the weight comes off, not which shot you're on.
Never read the label? That's normal. Nobody walks you through it at the pharmacy.
Not on it yet? You have time. The shedding usually shows up around month 3.
The checksThe 5 things that matter
Scientists have studied two plants for slowing DHT. Pumpkin seed oil is pressed from pumpkin seeds. Saw palmetto is the berry of a small palm tree.
Five things to look for
Here's what to look for on the label.
- Made for women. It says women on the front.
- Slows DHT. It has pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto, with the amounts.
- Every amount printed. One number for each ingredient. No blend.
- Blood tests. Biotin under 1,000 mcg and no iodine, so your blood tests stay accurate.
- Easy to take. Two a day or less, nothing to rub in.
We checked every product below on these same five things.
The rankingWhat women take for their hair, worst to best
Whichever shot you and your doctor pick, the same five things matter. Here's what women on the shot take most, checked on the back label.
✓ Gets it right · ✕ Problem · ! Okay, not ideal
Nutrafol Women
4 capsules a day
Gets 1 of 5 right- Made for Women
- Slows DHT Saw palmetto, amount hidden, no pumpkin seed oil
- Every amount printed Plants hidden inside one blend
- Blood tests Biotin 3,000 mcg, plus iodine
- Easy to take 4 capsules a day
- Price About $79 to $88 a month
Verdict. The best-known name, made for women, with real saw palmetto. But you can't see how much, the biotin is high, and it's four capsules a day.
OLLY Heavenly Hair Gummies
2 gummies a day
Gets 2 of 5 right- Made for Hair, for anyone
- Slows DHT No pumpkin seed oil, no saw palmetto
- Every amount printed Every amount on the label
- Blood tests Biotin 3,000 mcg a day
- Easy to take 2 gummies a day
- Price About $16 a month
Verdict. Cheap, tasty and easy to take. It feeds the hair. Nothing in it slows DHT, and the biotin can throw off a thyroid test.
Premier Protein 30g Protein Shake
1 shake a day
Gets 2 of 5 right- Made for Muscle, for anyone
- Slows DHT No pumpkin seed oil, no saw palmetto
- Every amount printed Every amount on the label
- Blood tests Low biotin, a little iodine
- Easy to take One shake a day
- Price About $2 a shake
Verdict. Protein helps protect your muscle on the shot, so keep it up. But it does nothing about DHT, which thins the top.
Viviscal Women's Hair Growth Supplement
2 tablets a day
Gets 3 of 5 right- Made for Women
- Slows DHT No saw palmetto, no pumpkin seed oil
- Every amount printed One number for its marine blend
- Blood tests Low biotin, no iodine
- Easy to take 2 tablets a day
- Price About $40 a month
Verdict. Made for women and easy on your blood tests. It feeds the hair while you're eating less. Nothing in it slows DHT.
HALO Hair
2 softgels a day
Gets 5 of 5 right- Made for Women losing hair on top
- Slows DHT 1,000 mg pumpkin seed oil, 320 mg saw palmetto
- Every amount printed Every dose on the label, no blend
- Blood tests Biotin 100 mcg, no iodine
- Easy to take 2 softgels a day
- Price $20 a bottle in the 3-pack
Verdict. The only one here that gets all five right. It has 1,000 mg pumpkin seed oil and 320 mg saw palmetto, with low biotin. Start it the week you start the shot, or today if you're already on one.
Prices and labels checked September 2026.
Get number one, buy 2 get 1 free →Number oneWhat's inside number one, and how it works
Two softgels a day. Here is everything in them, and how much.
| Ingredient | Per day | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin seed oil, cold-pressed | 1,000 mg | Slows the switch at the root that makes DHT |
| Saw palmetto extract | 320 mg | Slows the same switch, a second way |
| Zinc | 10 mg | A mineral hair roots use to grow |
| Selenium | 55 mcg | A mineral that helps protect cells |
| Copper | 1 mg | A mineral hair uses for its color |
| Vitamin E | 50 mg | Helps protect cells from everyday wear |
| Biotin | 100 mcg | Low on purpose, so blood tests stay accurate |
| Iodine | None | Left out on purpose |
Every dose is printed on the label. No blend.
How it works
Estrogen helps guard the top from DHT. On the shot, some estrogen goes with the fat.
Women make a little testosterone too. At the root, a natural switch called an enzyme turns some of it into DHT.
Both plants slow that switch, right at the root. So less DHT gets made.
Each plant does this in its own way. No prescription needed.
Where it comes from
Pumpkin seed oil is pressed cold from the seeds, like a good olive oil. No high heat, so the oil isn't cooked.
Saw palmetto is the berry of a small palm tree that grows wild in Florida. Both are oily, so they come in a softgel, like fish oil.
What the research says
There's one small study, in men. They took 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil a day for 24 weeks.
At the end, their hair count was up about 40%. There's no study in women.
Number one has 1,000 mg of the oil in every daily dose.
What makes it different
No other product here has 1,000 mg of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil. It adds 320 mg of saw palmetto and keeps biotin low.
It's made for women losing hair on top, on the shot or about to start. It's the same two softgels whichever shot you're on.
See the full label →Your turnNow check yours
Already taking something for your hair? Check the back for the same five things.
- Does it say women on the front?
- Are pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto both on it?
- Is every amount printed, with no blend?
- Is biotin under 1,000 mcg, with no iodine?
- Is it two a day or less?
Count how many it gets right.
If it gets one or two, that's not a mistake you made. You picked it off the same shelf everyone does.
See the one that gets all five →
What number one costs
Buy once, or subscribe and save from $24.99. Free US shipping on 3 or more. 90-day money back.
What women ask before they pick a shot
Which GLP-1 causes the least hair loss?
None of them is easy on hair. Every label lists hair loss. What matters most is how fast the weight comes off.
Should I pick my shot for my hair?
Pick it with your doctor, for your weight and your health. Whichever one you pick, the same five things matter for your hair.
Will switching shots stop the shedding?
Not by itself. The shedding comes from the weight loss, not from one shot. It usually settles a few months after your weight steadies. Talk to your doctor before you change anything.
Why do women lose more hair than men on it?
The labels show it but don't say why. One likely reason is estrogen. Part of it is made in body fat, and it helps guard the roots on top.
Can I protect my hair before I start?
Eat protein at every meal, and ask your doctor to check your iron and thyroid. If you want number one, start it the week you start the shot. Show the label to your pharmacist first.
Or you close this page. That's allowed.
Nothing happens. You and your doctor pick the shot, and you keep an eye on the part in your hair.
You know what the labels say now. And you know the five things to check on any label.
Get number one, buy 2 get 1 free →© 2026 HALO Health. All rights reserved.