It isn’t just restaurant dishes — and the people eating them — that are seemingly diminishing in volume thanks to the rapid rise of GLP-1s, now taken by 11% of US adults — equivalent to around 29 million people. Hair volume and density appear to be going the same way.
According to social media-tracking analyst Spate, interest in GLP-1 hair thinning is rising, with 302,000 related mentions in Google search over the last 12 months — an almost 58% year-on-year rise. Google searches for, “Does Wegovy cause hair loss?”, referring to the GLP-1, are up 450% over the same period. And searches for “Mounjaro hair loss” are up more than 100% year-on-year, according to Google data courtesy of Boots.
That interest is translating into spending. Online retailer Cult Beauty has seen sales in its hair loss and thinning category rise 30% in the past year, while Boots has recorded a similar 30% uptick in scalpcare.
The numbers don’t lie. What used to be a niche corner of the haircare market is now a serious player in our beauty routines — and a significant growth opportunity for the brands that can deliver.
Hair loss has a new consumer
Of course, it’s not just GLP-1 related. Hair loss is moving from what McKinsey partner Sara Hudson describes as a “relatively narrow, male-centered and medically managed concern” into a mainstream beauty, health and wellness category, as a much broader range of consumers seek solutions for different types and triggers of thinning — from perimenopause and female pattern hair loss, to temporary GLP-1 or Covid-related shedding.
In the consultancy’s global research of 15,000 consumers across 13 countries, preventing or treating hair loss is now the third most common goal when shopping for haircare, behind only overall hair nourishment and hair control and styling. Around one in five consumers globally regularly uses a dedicated hair loss-prevention or reduction product.
Perhaps, most interestingly, women are now more likely to use a hair loss product than men — 22% versus 16%. It is a significant reversal for a category historically dominated by male-pattern baldness, and considerably expands the number of consumers brands can speak to.
“In the past five years, there’s been an influx of different people noticing hair thinning or loss in density,” says trichologist Hannah Gaboardi. She has also seen the demographic change as more young women suffer from thinning and shedding.
Stress and genetics sit alongside hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, rapid weight loss, pregnancy, and menopause as potential triggers. “This is being driven by a growing understanding of specific life stage triggers: menopause, postpartum, and GLP-1 use,” says Alice Crossley, principal foresight analyst at The Future Laboratory.
Alice Crossley, principal foresight analyst at The Future Laboratory.
Photo: Courtesy of Alice Crossley
