GLP-1 drugs may have an unexpected benefit for some skin conditions

Dermatologists are seeing potential benefits for inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, while researchers work to understand how much of the effect comes from weight loss and how much may come from the medications themselves.

GLP-1 drugs have changed the way doctors treat diabetes and obesity, but dermatologists are now paying attention to what these medications may be doing to the skin.

Dr. Katherine Durham with U.S. Dermatology Partners in Fort Worth says dermatologists have seen improvements in some patients with inflammatory skin conditions, including psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can cause patches of thick, scaly and irritated skin.

Durham says weight loss itself may help some patients because excess weight can contribute to inflammation throughout the body, but researchers are also studying whether GLP-1 medications could have anti-inflammatory effects that go beyond weight loss alone.

"In large part, it is due to the weight loss," said Durham, but she said emerging research comparing GLP-1 drugs with other medications that improve insulin resistance suggests there may be additional effects on inflammation.

For patients who have psoriasis and are also overweight, Durham says that possibility is already influencing some of the conversations she has in her practice.

She recommends that some of those patients talk with their doctors about whether a GLP-1 medication may be appropriate for them.

Durham said she has seen patients in her own practice remain clear while taking the medications, although GLP-1 drugs are not currently a replacement for established psoriasis treatments.

Researchers are still trying to determine exactly how the medications may affect inflammatory skin disease.

"We still don't know what that external mechanism for reduced inflammation is," Durham said.

For now, she says GLP-1 medications may be used alongside other treatments in appropriate patients rather than specifically as a psoriasis medication.

The drugs can also bring changes that patients may notice in their hair and appearance.

Hair loss can occur after significant weight loss, similar to the temporary shedding that can follow other major changes to the body, including surgery or childbirth.

Durham, who says she takes a GLP-1 medication herself, said she has experienced hair loss and discusses the possibility with patients.

Rapid weight loss can also lead to a loss of facial fat that can leave the face looking more hollow or gaunt.

Durham says treatments are available for patients concerned about those changes.

The potential effects on inflammatory skin disease are part of a much larger effort to understand what GLP-1 medications may do throughout the body.

For people with psoriasis, the research does not mean they should seek out a GLP-1 medication solely to treat their skin, but for patients who already have a medical reason to consider one, Durham says improvements in inflammatory skin disease could potentially be another benefit worth discussing with their doctor.