GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Show Promise in Reducing Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptoms

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a condition most people have never heard of, but for those who have it, the impact is unmistakable. The disease causes painful lumps to form beneath the skin, typically in areas where skin folds and rubs—the armpits, groin, under the breasts. These lesions recur, often worsening over time, and the condition typically emerges after puberty but before age 40. Women are three times more likely to develop it than men. For decades, treatment has meant managing symptoms through medication or surgery, with limited options for real relief.

Now a French research team has found something unexpected: the same drugs that have become famous for weight loss might also ease the suffering caused by this painful skin condition. The study, published in JAMA Dermatology, examined 66 patients taking GLP-1 medications—drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy—and tracked their skin condition over an average of 18.5 months. The results were striking. After six months, 54% of patients reported symptom improvement. By the final follow-up, that number had climbed to 67%, and 60% said their pain had decreased.

The mechanism appears to work on multiple levels. Most of the study participants were obese and diabetic, and researchers have long known that weight loss—however achieved—tends to improve hidradenitis suppurativa. The theory is straightforward: less weight means less friction in the skin folds where the condition develops. But GLP-1 drugs appear to do more than simply help people shed pounds. They seem to carry anti-inflammatory properties that may directly calm the inflammatory cascade driving the skin disease. By reducing both the mechanical stress on affected areas and the underlying inflammation, the drugs appear to create conditions where skin can heal and flares become less frequent.

Dr. Brendan Camp, a dermatologist in New York, responded to the findings with what he called "cautious optimism." He acknowledged that seeing two-thirds of patients experience meaningful improvement over 18 months is genuinely impressive, particularly given how resistant hidradenitis suppurativa has been to treatment. He also confirmed the dual mechanism: GLP-1-induced weight loss reduces the friction and inflammation driven by excess fat tissue in susceptible areas, while the drugs' own anti-inflammatory effects may further support skin healing.

But Camp was careful to pump the brakes. The study was retrospective, meaning researchers looked backward at patient records rather than randomly assigning people to receive the drug or a placebo. That design limits what researchers can actually conclude about cause and effect. More importantly, nearly all study participants were obese and diabetic—a population that may respond differently than patients with hidradenitis suppurativa who are at normal weight or have no metabolic disease. The results may not apply to everyone with the condition.

Camp emphasized that GLP-1 drugs remain investigational for hidradenitis suppurativa and have not been approved by regulators for this use. He does not recommend prescribing them solely to treat the skin condition. However, he noted that patients who already qualify for GLP-1 treatment because they have diabetes or obesity might experience an added benefit: improvement in their skin symptoms. For those considering off-label use—taking a drug for a purpose it was not approved for—Camp urged caution. The cost is high, side effects are real, and the evidence remains preliminary. Any such decision should involve both a dermatologist and the prescribing physician.

What comes next is clear: the field needs randomized controlled trials, the gold standard of medical research. Those studies will tell us whether GLP-1 drugs truly help hidradenitis suppurativa patients across the full spectrum of the disease, not just those who are also obese and diabetic. Until then, the promise is real but unproven, and the path forward requires both hope and restraint.