Studies link GLP-1 use with nail and hair symptoms

Two studies presented at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress found that people taking GLP-1 medicines reported nail and hair symptoms more often than people with obesity or type 2 diabetes who had not used the drugs. The findings show an association, not evidence that the medicines caused the symptoms. In the nail study, 575 GLP-1 users were compared with people who had similar underlying conditions and no history of using the medicines. About 39% of users reported nail detachment, compared with about 9% of controls. Nail discoloration was also more common, reported by about 46% of users and 17% of controls. Across the groups, at least one nail problem was reported by roughly two-thirds of users and about half of controls. A companion study found unusual hair loss in about half of GLP-1 users and roughly one-third of controls. Hair-volume or density loss and scalp symptoms, including itching, redness or scaling, were also reported more often among users. The precise estimates vary by measure, and the studies examined several distinct hair and scalp outcomes.