Are you on or considering Ozempic, Wegovy, or another new medication for weight loss? Wonderful! These medications appear to be safe and effective and can significantly improve your health and well-being. With endless pictures, videos, and images of each of us being so important to our professional and personal lives, our appearance plays a significant role in how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. A healthy body includes a healthy weight, yet for many people, it is very challenging to lose unwanted pounds. As you know, new medications have appeared that affect the pancreas and insulin production. These medications, like Ozempic or Wegovy, are versions of semaglutide and have been shown to help stimulate rapid weight loss. But, the use of medications like Ozempic for rapid weight loss can have an impact on our facial appearance. With rapid weight loss we lose unwanted pounds, but some fat is desirable. If you lose facial fat, your face can look drawn or hollow, adding wrinkles and making you look older. In fact, Dr. Spiegel, founder of the Spiegel Center, anticipated this problem 10 years ago and published an important research paper on the subject! He found that significant weight loss led to people being seen as much older than their actual age. The study showed that extreme weight loss was attributed to people being perceived as more physically fit and attractive, but older.
Ozempic Face is the name being given to the sudden sullen, sagging, wrinkled, and aged appearance that can be an unfortunate side effect of these medications. It makes sense, after all. When you lose weight it doesn’t just happen in the lower body; it happens everywhere. You may be glad to lose pounds off your thighs, but not about having flat and sagging cheeks. And, that’s cheeks of both kinds (Ozempic Butt is another topic, and we have a great solution for that too!).
Fortunately, we have many ways of treating “Ozempic Face.” These can include:
1. Dermal Fillers like Radiesse, Hyaluronic Acid (Juvederm, Versa, Restylane), and Sculptra. Dermal fillers can help restore lost volume by replenishing areas such as cheeks, temples, and nasolabial folds. These fillers lift tissue and resuspend sagging tissues. They are done quickly in the office. The time for this is as soon as you see the start of sagging and wrinkling. Don’t let your skin get too wrinkly during the process of weight loss. Fillers can make you look healthy and attractive while you’re on your Ozempic journey.
2. Facelift: In cases where there is significant sagging or excess skin due to weight loss, a facelift procedure can provide more comprehensive rejuvenation by lifting and tightening the underlying tissues. We can restore fat pad locations, lift tissues, and smooth out wrinkles in this procedure which takes about 3 hours. Over the following two weeks post-surgery you’ll look better and better. A facelift, or neck lift, is best done when you’ve reached your ideal body weight or are close to it.
3. Skin Resurfacing Treatments: Procedures like chemical peels or laser resurfacing, and, the right skin care products can help improve the texture and tone of the skin, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by weight loss. The right home care products will keep your skin tighter as you lose weight preventing too much laxity from causing problems. There are so many different products and skincare lines. We recommend consulting with your doctors to find the best ones for you. These products are carefully curated for your age, skin tone, environment, and season in which you are using the products. This is not a case where one size fits all.
4. Eyelid Surgery: Weight loss can also result in drooping or sagging eyelids. Eyelid surgery can address these concerns, giving you a more youthful and refreshed appearance. Tear trough fillers can be helpful too, though, for more significant sagging, an in-the-office procedure like blepharoplasty can tighten the tissues beautifully and quickly, often with local numbing and no need for general anesthesia.
5. Skin tightening with radiofrequency: Radiofrequency energy builds collagen, builds elastin, and helps your skin look tighter and more youthful. The skin “shrink wraps” onto your new smaller face so you don’t see the loose skin as much. We’ve had remarkable success using this technology to tighten the neck, face, forehead, arms, thighs, knees, and abdomen. Losing weight and getting loose skin doesn’t mean you absolutely need skin removal. Our weight loss protocols help tighten skin during the process, so you stay looking good throughout. Morpheus8, BodyTite, FaceTite, and NeckTite are just some of the technologically advanced treatments that can play a role.
The best plan of action is to see us at The Spiegel Center at regular intervals during your weight loss journey. Four to six weeks after starting is a good time for a first appointment so we can evaluate the changes happening and develop a plan to keep your skin tight and your face youthful.
If you are experiencing changes in your facial appearance due to Ozempic usage or rapid weight loss, seeking the expertise of a plastic surgeon is a wise decision. We have the experience and expertise you need and can provide customized solutions to address your specific concerns and help you regain confidence in your appearance.
Did you find this information helpful? Did it answer all of your questions or do you still want to know more? Please let us know at [email protected] or call us with your feedback at 617-566-3223.
