GLP-1 drugs cause a range of skin effects including facial fat loss, hair shedding, and injection reactions, but may also help with wound healing and psoriasis.
Both risks and benefits for skinGLP-1 drugs cause adverse skin effects like facial fat loss and hair shedding, but emerging evidence also suggests anti-inflammatory benefits for psoriasis and enhanced wound healing.
What the researchers found
GLP-1 receptor agonists are associated with a range of dermatologic effects — some harmful, some potentially beneficial. On the adverse side: injection-site reactions, immune-mediated responses including hypersensitivity, urticaria, and bullous pemphigoid (a blistering skin condition), facial fat loss dubbed "Ozempic face," and hair loss in the form of telogen effluvium linked to rapid weight loss.
On the potentially positive side, emerging evidence suggests GLP-1 drugs may enhance wound healing and could benefit inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis. The review highlights that as GLP-1 use expands to millions of patients, dermatologic side effects are becoming an increasingly important clinical consideration.
Why it matters
As GLP-1 drugs move from niche diabetes treatments to mainstream weight loss medications used by millions, their skin-related side effects are becoming impossible to ignore. "Ozempic face" has become a cultural phenomenon, and hair loss is a frequently reported concern. At the same time, the anti-inflammatory properties of GLP-1 drugs raise intriguing possibilities for conditions like psoriasis. Dermatologists are increasingly seeing patients on these drugs and need to understand the full spectrum of skin effects.
How the study worked
Narrative review of published literature on the dermatologic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including case reports, clinical trials, and post-marketing surveillance data on skin-related adverse events and potential therapeutic benefits.
Who was studied
Review of published literature on dermatologic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists across diverse patient populations
What this study cannot tell us
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review with quantified effect sizes. Many of the reported dermatologic effects come from case reports or small series rather than controlled studies. The causal relationship between GLP-1 drugs and some skin effects (like hair loss) may be confounded by the rapid weight loss itself rather than the drug directly.
How to read the evidence
This is a narrative review summarizing existing literature. It provides a useful clinical overview but relies on case reports and observational data for many of the dermatologic effects described.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, this review captures the current state of knowledge about GLP-1 skin effects as the drugs reach peak prescribing volume.
The bigger picture
The dermatologic impact of GLP-1 drugs represents an entirely new area of concern that barely existed five years ago. With tens of millions of prescriptions now written annually, even uncommon skin reactions affect large numbers of people. The emergence of "Ozempic face" has cultural and psychological implications beyond medicine, while the potential anti-inflammatory benefits for conditions like psoriasis could open new therapeutic directions. Dermatology is now an essential part of the GLP-1 conversation.
Questions still open
- Is the hair loss on GLP-1 drugs caused by the rapid weight loss itself or by direct drug effects on hair follicles?
- Could GLP-1 drugs become a recognized treatment option for psoriasis or other inflammatory skin conditions?
- Does the facial fat loss of Ozempic face reverse if patients stop the medication and regain weight?
Common questions
Is Ozempic face permanent?
Will I lose my hair on semaglutide?
Read the original research
Dermatologic Implications of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Medications.
Skin appendage disorders, 11(5), 416-423
Citation
Burke, Olivia M; Sa, Brianna; Cespedes, David Alvarez; Tosti, Antonella. (2025). Dermatologic Implications of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Medications.. Skin appendage disorders, 11(5), 416-423. https://doi.org/10.1159/000544023