Yes, but it is uncommon. In the adult Wegovy weight trials, 1.4% of treated patients had an injection site reaction [1]. On placebo it was 1%. Those reactions include itching, redness, inflammation, hardening and irritation at the spot.
The label reports rash and hives more often in teenagers than in adults. In the pediatric trial, rash was reported in 3% of treated teenagers against 0% on placebo. Hives were also 3% against 0%. The fuller list of what these drugs do is in the side-effect guide, where stomach effects dominate.
When a rash is an allergic reaction
The label lists serious hypersensitivity reactions. Anaphylaxis and angioedema have been reported. Rash and urticaria appear among post-marketing reports too.
The rule is plain. If a hypersensitivity reaction occurs, the drug is stopped and treated promptly. A prior serious reaction to semaglutide rules Wegovy out. For a suspected reaction, the label says to stop and promptly seek medical advice.
Antibodies change the odds. In adult weight trials, allergic reactions occurred in 16% (8 of 50) of patients who developed anti-semaglutide antibodies. Without them it was 7% (114 of 1,659).
What the reporting database shows
An analysis of FDA adverse event reports from 2018 to 2024 looked at skin terms [2]. Those were rash, pruritus, urticaria, alopecia and angioedema. The drugs were semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide and dulaglutide.
Skin reactions appeared in up to 8.16% of GLP-1 reports. That is a share of reports, not of patients. Most people on any drug never file a report, so a user rate cannot be read from it. Reports came more often from women, and the mean age was 60.
Against DPP-4 inhibitors, the proportional reporting ratio was 0.27 (95% CI 0.257 to 0.284). Skin reports were proportionally less common. The limits of this kind of database apply in full.
Does the drug matter?
Within the class, the pattern varied. Semaglutide had the highest raw reporting rate and dulaglutide the lowest. In the regression, exenatide showed 5.01 times the odds of dulaglutide (95% CI 4.69 to 5.35). Liraglutide and semaglutide showed lower odds.
Those odds are measured against dulaglutide, not against no drug. Exenatide is also older, with fewer current users. Cross-drug rankings in a reporting database are weak evidence. The same caution runs through the sex-differences guide, which cites this analysis.
The rare reactions
A 2024 review gathered case reports of rare skin reactions [3]. They included dermal hypersensitivity reactions, eosinophilic panniculitis, bullous pemphigoid and morbilliform drug eruptions. Management involves stopping the drug responsible.
A 2025 systematic review found 51 studies [4]. Thirty-four reported adverse effects: hypersensitivity, injection site reactions, pruritus, urticaria, angioedema and bullous pemphigoid. Seventeen reported benefits, such as improvement in psoriasis. A scoping review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology collected findings for semaglutide alone [5].
These reviews show what has been described. They cannot show how often. Loose skin after weight loss is a separate matter, covered in the skin removal guide.
Why it matters for staying on it
The FAERS authors note that skin reactions might affect adherence. That links to how long people stay on a GLP-1. They add that greater awareness may improve counseling as the uses of these drugs expand.