Warning: This article contains discussion of weight and weight loss which some readers may find distressing
A warning has been issued to those taking Ozempic as a means for their weight loss as it could lead to an uncomfortable condition dubbed 'Ozempic scalp'.
The injectable drug has surged in popularity among celebrities and every day people due to its weight-loss effects. It is, however, primarily intended for use by type two diabetics.
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The prescription helps to lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults.
Despite this, it has emerged that taking Ozempic can suppress appetite and lead to dramatic weight loss, leading to unregulated under-the-counter sale as well as an increase of 'faux-zempic' - counterfeit Ozempic.
Known as the 'skinny jab', Ozempic is now being thought of as the go-to weight loss method to those who can get their hands on the medication.
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Naturally, many undesirable side effects and complications are likely to come along with taking something you haven't been prescribed to take by a doctor.
The latest worry on the rise is 'Ozempic scalp,' aka hair loss and a painful scalp.
One user on Reddit drew attention to a painful scalp, writing: "Anyone having scalp issues?
"For the last few months my scalp has been incredibly sensitive. So sensitive that it hurts to brush my hair. Four weeks ago I saw my [dermatologist] and she prescribed the extra strength dandruff shampoo and said to switch on and off with Neutrogena Tsal.
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"I saw my PCP last week for a Wegovy check in and he looked at my hair and said he only saw a few flakes but gave me a steroid type solution to put on my scalp. With the way my scalp feels, I was expecting it to be red, inflamed and angry but it’s not.
"I have had no relief whatsoever so I’m wondering if this pain is tied to Wegovy."
One person responded: "Okay wait!!!! i’m on wegovy and i’ve been experiencing scalp soreness now for the past month! I have been so worried as well."
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Another said: "Started [Wegovy] Jan 2023, itching started about July when on 2.4 mg, tender scalp itching red spots with scabs, hurts to brush hair and wash hair, so much hair loss."
Ultimately, health experts are warning that hair loss is a likely effect of the dramatic weight loss that occurs when on the drug.
Dermatologist at the Ohio State University, Susan Massick, MD, told Healthline: "Telogen effluvium [or TE] is a diffuse shedding of hair that occurs approximately three months after a major stressor."
Mir Ali, MD, a California-based bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, added: "The patients it does happen to, in my experience, notice it and see it in the hairbrush.
"Other people don’t see it as much. It’s not big, bald patches. That’s why it doesn’t tend to be as significant as some people think.”
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They added: "It’s usually temporary. When the weight stabilises, the hair tends to go back to what it was before.”
In a statement to TYLA, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said: "Although Ozempic® and Wegovy®▼ both contain semaglutide as a compound, they are not the same medicine and are not interchangeable.
"Ozempic® and Wegovy® are supported by separate and distinct clinical trial programmes in different disease areas and underwent separate regulatory review processes. They differ in their approved indications, dose escalation and study populations.
"In clinical trials for Wegovy® hair loss was noticed and is included in the SmPC as a side effect. Hair loss was reported in 3% of Wegovy-treated adult patients vs 1% of placebo-treated adult patients.
"None of the events of alopecia were serious and most of the events were mild in severity. More than half of the events of alopecia were assessed by the investigator as unlikely to be related to trial products."
Kya Buller