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People taking GLP-1 medications for obesity or diabetes experience nail detachment and hair loss at significantly higher rates than people with similar overall health who do not take GLP-1s.
That’s according to research presented Oct. 1 at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
Two studies evaluated 575 users of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs and a control group of 1,329 non-users, all of whom had type 2 diabetes, obesity or both. Participants were recruited across France, the U.S, Brazil and Mexico.
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In the primary study examining nail health, 39% of GLP-1 users reported nail detachment compared with 9% of non-users. Discoloration of the nails affected 46% of GLP-1 users versus 17% in the control group.
Overall, two-thirds of GLP-1 users (66%) reported experiencing at least one nail disorder, compared with 53% of the control group.
People taking GLP-1 medications for obesity or diabetes experience nail detachment and hair loss at significantly higher rates than people with similar overall health who did not take GLP-1s. (iStock)
Researchers found that weight loss alone did not explain the difference.
Even when researchers looked only at people who lost weight, those taking GLP-1s were still more likely to have these problems.
After adjusting for existing dermatological conditions and nutritional deficiencies, nail detachment and discoloration remained two to three times more frequent among the medication group.
Two-thirds (66%) of GLP-1 users experienced at least one nail issue, with nail discoloration affecting 46% of drug users compared to 17% of controls. (iStock)
“Until now, nail changes associated with GLP-1 therapies had essentially been anecdotal,” study author Dr. Charles Taïeb, a clinical dermatologist at Necker University Hospital in Paris, said in a press release.
“Our findings show a clear association, but they also underline an important point: Not everything that happens during GLP-1 treatment is necessarily caused by the treatment itself.”
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In another study evaluating hair and scalp conditions among the same group of participants, 50% of GLP-1 users reported unusual hair loss compared with 34% of the control group.
After starting treatment, 26% of GLP-1 users reported hair loss or thinning, compared with 12% of those not taking the drugs. Loss of hair volume was also more common, affecting 42% of GLP-1 users compared with 19% of those not taking them, the study found.
Patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists were more than four times as likely to report nail detachment compared to non-users with similar medical profiles. (iStock)
Scalp redness was reported around three times as frequently in GLP-1 users, and hair loss among users was typically accompanied by inflammatory scalp symptoms such as itching, scaling or redness, the researchers noted.
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“This suggests that what is happening on the scalp may go beyond the classical shedding seen after rapid weight loss and involve an inflammatory component,” said study author Dr. Bruno Halioua, a Paris dermatologist, in the release.
“Scalp inflammation was the rule rather than the exception, which clinicians do not currently look for and which may be treatable.”
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Halioua stated that patients experiencing these symptoms should consult a physician rather than stopping their medication, noting that the changes are typically not serious enough to warrant discontinuing treatment.
Half of GLP-1 users reported unusual hair loss, while 42% experienced reduced hair volume or density in a study. (iStock)
The authors emphasized that because both studies relied on patient-reported data and looked at them at a single point in time, the findings only show associations and cannot prove that the medications caused these effects.
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Roughly half of the GLP-1 users surveyed reported having nail issues prior to starting treatment.
The research team is planning further studies to determine when these changes occur, what may be causing them and whether they go away over time.
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The studies received institutional support from DUCRAY Laboratories, a division of the Pierre Fabre Group.
Fox News Digital reached out to GLP-1 manufacturers requesting comment.