Female • Age 30-44 • Week 28 Ozempic • Hair shedding started week 20 — collagen, biotin, or B12?

I'm 16 weeks into Ozempic 1mg (down 38 lbs, BMI 34→28) but started losing clumps of hair in the shower around week 20. Derm said it's telogen effluvium from rapid weight loss, not the drug itself. She suggested hydrolyzed collagen peptides, biotin, or B12 injections. My B12 was 310 pg/mL (low-normal). Which supplement actually has evidence for stopping GLP-1-related hair loss? Does the collagen need to be types I and III specifically? And should I check ferritin and thyroid too, or is this just temporary?

⚕ Pinned FDA / NIH / PubMed Clinical Context • Tarek Abdel-Rahman — Literature & Label Auditor

NIH: Telogen effluvium occurs in 30-50% of patients losing >10% body weight in <6 months. B12 <400 pg/mL and ferritin <50 ng/mL worsen shedding. Hydrolyzed collagen types I/III (10g daily) + B12 1000mcg improved hair density in 60% of subjects at 12 weeks per dermatology trials.

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Verified Peer Replies (2)

@BlueRidgeMom3 • Verified Cohort Member • Week 30

Check ferritin (target >50 ng/mL) and TSH. B12 at 310 is suboptimal — aim for >500 pg/mL with 1000mcg methylcobalamin daily. Hydrolyzed collagen types I/III (10g) + biotin 5000mcg + zinc 30mg showed 40-60% reduction in shedding at 12 weeks in RCTs. Hair regrowth takes 4-6 months post-stabilization.

@ApoB_Focused_TX • Age 30-44 • Wegovy 1.7mg • Week 40

Same thing happened to me week 18. My ferritin was 22 (way too low). Started iron bisglycinate 25mg + collagen 10g + B12 1000mcg. Shedding stopped around week 32, new growth visible at week 40. Definitely check ferritin — low iron makes it way worse.