"Ozempic face" does exist - but there are already specialised products for it

Rapid weight loss with weight loss injections leaves a mark. More and more often in social networks there are people with the so-called "Ozempic Face". What is it and how to deal with it?

This is the name given to faces that, due to drastic weight loss, acquire certain features - the face seems older, and this effect is increasingly discussed on social networks. The German edition of Apotheken Umschau analysed how this phenomenon occurs and whether it is possible to lose weight without such consequences.

What is Ozempic Face?

"Ozempic Face is characterised by sagging skin, sunken cheeks and a generally older, tired-looking face," explains Professor Christiane Bayerl, director of Helios Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken Wiesbaden's Helios Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology.

A survey of members of the American Academy of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that 60 per cent of specialists have noticed an increase in the number of patients with these facial changes.

Why does Ozempic Face appear?

The drug Ozempic contains semaglutide - it was originally prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, but increasingly it is also being used by healthy people to lose weight quickly, although this is not always medically justified.

Ozempic belongs to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic the GLP-1 hormone, slow gastric emptying and reduce appetite - especially for fatty foods. This leads to rapid weight loss, and a side effect can be a change in facial features.

Why does skin sag with rapid weight loss?

"When a person loses weight dramatically, the fat pads all over the body shrink," explains Dr Helge Jens, president of the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. - On the face, this is particularly noticeable."

Fat deposits provide the facial skin with smoothness. If there is less of it, the skin sags, a tired and old look appears, the nasolabial folds increase, the cheeks become sunken and the eyes look tired. Rapid weight loss also accelerates the loss of collagen and elastic fibres, which only intensifies this effect, especially in smokers and sun-worshippers.

Can Ozempic Face be prevented?

Experts advise losing weight slowly, 1-2kg per month, so that the skin has time to adapt, especially as we age and the amount of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid decreases.

What to do if Ozempic Face has already appeared?

Plastic surgery, lipofilling and injections are not available to everyone, so the beauty market is quick to react: specialised products are emerging to combat GLP-1 side effects, writes Harper's Bazaar India.

For example, plastic surgeon Mark Rohnert has launched Vol.U.Lift cream, which promises to tackle loss of density, dryness and wrinkles. The formula contains ingredients to stimulate collagen, retain moisture and protect against oxidative stress.

Surgeon Julius Few's DermaReverse serum has a similar approach. The product has been clinically tested on people taking GLP-1 and has been shown to improve skin elasticity and hydration. Few believes that drugs change cell communication and disrupt the renewal process, causing the skin to age faster and become more vulnerable to external factors.

However, experts emphasise: even the most innovative creams will not restore lost fat volume.

"Even if you use the best products, without volume the skin will look less youthful," warns plastic surgeon Faryan Jalalabadi. Dermatologist Sonia Batra adds that significant changes are only possible with a holistic approach: a combination of care and, if necessary, treatments.

However, the new products are not a substitute for injections or surgery, but rather an additional measure to reduce or prevent side effects in advance. And they can be used not only by GLP-1 patients, but by anyone who notices volume loss and dry skin.

As more and more people start taking weight-loss medication, the demand for such cosmetics will only grow, experts believe.