Risk for Nonscarring Hair Loss Increased in Association With GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use
GLP-1 RAs linked to increased risk for androgenetic alopecia, nonscarring hair loss, telogen effluvium at six months
By Elana Gotkine (HealthDay News) | March 05, 2026
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- The risk for nonscarring hair loss (NSHL) is increased in association with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Savanna I. Vidal, from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in the Washington, D.C., and colleagues used the TriNetX U.S. Collaborative Network to examine the incidence and risk for NSHL in adults (aged 18 to 89 years) and adolescents (aged 12 to 17 years) treated with GLP-1 RA versus matched controls from 2014 to 2024. Data were included for 547,993 matched adult GLP-1 RA users and controls.
The researchers found that for both GLP-1 RA users and controls, there was an increase in the incidence of NSHL, telogen effluvium (TE), androgenetic alopecia (AGA), and alopecia areata between 2014 and 2024. Incidence curves for overall NSHL began to diverge around 2019, with consistently higher rates for GLP-1 RA users by 2023 to 2024. For TE and AGA, the rates remained similar until 2021 to 2022, followed by a sharper increase among GLP-1 RA users. GLP-1 RAs were linked to a significantly higher risk for AGA and NSHL at six months (adjusted odds ratios, 1.62 and 1.26, respectively). Risks increased for TE, AGA, and NSHL at 12 months (adjusted odds ratios, 1.76, 1.64, and 1.40, respectively).
"Awareness of alopecia risk in patients on GLP-1 RAs is critical for early detection, anticipatory guidance, and multidisciplinary care," the authors write.