What is Ozempic Face & How to Avoid It?

Key Takeaways

Weight loss on Ozempic often results in a gaunt or hollowed appearance to the person’s face due to loose and sagging skin. These changes in facial skin have been labeled with the term “Ozempic face."
There may be no way to avoid Ozempic face. However, adjusting your Ozempic dose, dietary changes, and plastic surgery treatments can improve the hollow appearance of an Ozempic face.

While Ozempic is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, the drug has gone viral as a weight loss medication.

While Ozempic is not among the weight loss medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it can be prescribed “off-label” for weight loss.

Regardless, you may experience some common side effects of this medication. One of the unwanted side effects of Ozempic is a change in facial appearance that has been coined as “Ozempic face.”

Please continue reading to learn more about the effects of Ozempic, specifically the facial changes called Ozempic face.

What is Ozempic face?

Ozempic face is an informal buzzword used to describe the hollowed-out facial appearance that can develop as an unwanted side effect of the drug.

It is not a medical term but rather a trending term coined by a dermatologist in a New York Times article to describe the facial side effects of Ozempic use.

So, what is “Ozempic face”?

People who experience rapid weight loss on Ozempic often lose excess facial fat. This results in a gaunt appearance to the person’s face due to loose skin and sagging skin.

It is caused by the loss of fat tissue and skin elasticity in the face and neck areas, leaving behind excess skin. These changes in facial skin have been labeled with the term Ozempic face.

They can make a person look older than they would due to the natural aging process.

Keep in mind that many people lose weight with Ozempic, but not everyone develops an Ozempic face.

The Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity (STEP) program conducted a study to evaluate the effects of semaglutide weekly injections in people who are obese or overweight but do not have diabetes.

The results showed a weight loss of 14.9% from the baseline body weight after 68 weeks of weekly semaglutide and lifestyle intervention. Additionally, results from the STEP trial revealed an average weight loss of 8 to 14 pounds.

With that said, the degree of “Ozempic face” may vary among people and tends to occur in people who experience significant weight loss accompanied by excessive facial fat loss.

How to avoid Ozempic face?

If you experience massive or rapid weight loss on Ozempic, there may be no way to prevent facial volume loss and avoid “Ozempic face.” However, plastic surgery treatments can improve the hollow appearance of an Ozempic face. Treatment options could include dermal fillers, fat grafting, and facelift and/or neck lift procedures.

What is “Ozempic body”?

“Ozempic body” is similar to “Ozempic face” but occurs in other parts of the body. People who experience weight loss on Ozempic to the tune of 50-100 pounds can develop excess skin or sagging skin in the breasts, back, upper arm, belly, buttock, and leg areas.

This loose skin occurs due to the loss of excess fat from these areas. The change in appearance caused by the loss of excess fat and reduced skin elasticity or tightness is called “Ozempic body.” This effect can be minimized by following good eating habits and exercise routines to increase muscle mass and toning.

Treatment options for Ozempic change in the body may include body contouring procedures such as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), upper arm lift, and thigh lift.

Note: These changes are more likely after massive weight loss, such as bariatric surgery.

As mentioned above, the average person experiences weight loss of 8 to 14 pounds on Ozempic, which is unlikely to cause fat loss and excess skin that is severe enough to be called Ozempic body or require plastic surgery.

What is Ozempic?

Ozempic is the brand name for the generic drug semaglutide. It is FDA-approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, some people are using Ozempic off-label to take advantage of one of its side effects—massive weight loss.

Ozempic is not among the weight loss medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ozempic is only approved by the FDA for two indications:

Treating type-2 diabetes in adults along with diet and exercise
Reducing cardiovascular risk in adults with cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

However, Ozempic can be prescribed as an “off-label” use for weight loss. This decision is made by healthcare providers using their clinical judgment.

Regardless of why you’re taking Ozempic, you may experience some of the most common side effects caused by this medication.

What exactly does Ozempic do in your body?

Ozempic belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. GLP-1 is a protein that is released by cells in the small intestine.

Its role is to mediate a glucose-dependent secretion of insulin by activating GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that helps to lower blood glucose levels.

GLP-1 also decreases the release of glucagon from the pancreas. Glucagon is a hormone that increases blood glucose levels.

Taking Ozempic, along with lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under control, leading to an improvement in metabolic health.

Ozempic and other similar medications also slow gastric emptying, i.e., emptying of the contents of the stomach into the intestines. This increases feelings of fullness during meals and helps to reduce caloric intake, leading to weight loss.

In addition, Ozempic is also believed to activate GLP-1 receptors in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates appetite.

Is Ozempic for weight loss safe for a non-diabetic?

Ozempic for weight loss is not safe for a non-diabetic. As mentioned, Ozempic is not among the weight loss drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Doctors do not encourage off-label use of Ozempic to lose weight if you don’t have diabetes.

However, Ozempic may be beneficial for you if you have type-2 diabetes in addition to being obese or overweight and you haven’t been able to lose excess weight with diet and exercise alone.

If you don’t have diabetes, you may still be successful in losing weight on Ozempic. However, this drug carries serious risks, as described below. You should talk to your doctor about Wegovy if the main objective is chronic weight management.

Note: The brand name Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, is among the FDA-approved weight loss drugs.

Wegovy is dosed differently than Ozempic and can be used, along with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, to reduce body weight and treat obesity.

You may be eligible for Wegovy if your body mass index (BMI) is above 30 kg/m2 or above 27 kg/m2 and you have an obesity-related health condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

Learn more about what happens when you stop taking Wegovy.

What is the dark side of semaglutide?

The dark side of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is that it can cause serious side effects. Common side effects of this medication include abdominal pain, heartburn, burping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.

More serious risks associated with semaglutide include an increased risk of thyroid tumors, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), kidney injury, allergic reactions, diabetic retinopathy (damage to the eye in people with diabetes), increased heart rate, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Learn more about Wegovy uses and side effects.

What do celebrities use Ozempic for?

Some celebrities have admitted to using Ozempic for weight loss. However, this is not an FDA-approved weight loss drug and carries serious risks.

Ozempic is not a magic pill for overnight weight loss and is not recommended as a weight loss medication for non-diabetic people.

Key Takeaways

Ozempic works by lowering blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Although many people experience weight loss on Ozempic, it is not an FDA-approved weight loss medication and carries serious risks.

People who lose massive amounts of weight on Ozempic (to the tune of 40-50 pounds) can develop a gaunt, hollowed appearance to their face due to excess fat loss and loose skin.

This side effect has been informally labeled with the term Ozempic face. Plastic surgery treatments can correct some of the changes in facial appearance associated with Ozempic face.

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