A new study suggests that people taking GLP-1 weight-loss injections, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, may face a significantly higher risk of hair loss compared with those not using the drugs. Researchers found users were 68 per cent more likely to experience hair thinning or baldness, adding an unwelcome side effect to a category of medication already linked to issues such as nausea, muscle loss and "Ozempic face". Given how widely these jabs are now prescribed for weight management, the findings raise fresh questions for both patients and doctors weighing up the drugs' benefits against their risks.

The 68 per cent figure comes from researchers analysing data on people using GLP-1 medications, with the increased hair loss risk attributed to the rapid weight loss and nutritional changes these drugs can trigger, rather than a direct chemical effect of the medication itself. Rapid weight loss is a recognised trigger for telogen effluvium, a temporary form of shedding, which may explain the link. Experts note that further research is needed to confirm the mechanism and to establish whether the hair loss is reversible once treatment stops or weight stabilises.