Rapid weight loss can bring about innumerable health benefits and a whole lot of confidence, but it can also lead to some unexpected changes in your facial appearance. These changes are being increasingly referred to as “Ozempic face,” and sometimes, it might not be pretty.
What is Ozempic Face?
Ozempic Face is a non-medical term used to describe the often unwanted facial changes that can happen as a result of losing weight quickly. It comes from the newly popular weight loss and diabetes drug “Ozempic.” While Ozempic and similar medications such as Mounjaro and WeGovy, or their generic counterparts, semaglutide and tirzepatide, can be effective in helping people shed excess pounds, they can also lead to the loss of facial volume and elasticity, resulting in a gaunt, aged, or tired appearance.
What Causes Ozempic Face?
Despite its name, Ozempic face is not a direct result of using weight loss peptide injections like Ozempic. The actual reason for Ozempic Face is that rapid weight loss can lead to a fast reduction of fat deposits in the face. In other words, as you lose weight quickly, fat underneath facial skin, which provides structure and lift, diminishes more quickly than skin can react and tighten. The result can be sagging skin and hollowed cheeks.
Additionally, weight loss itself, along with nutrient deficits that can go with eating less, can mean the loss of collagen and elastin within the skin, which in turn contributes to wrinkles and fine lines, making you look older.
Lifestyle Ways to Prevent Ozempic Face
Rapid weight loss can cause changes, but the health benefits from reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can certainly be worth the risk. If you are beginning your weight loss journey, there are ways you can help lessen the unwanted impacts of rapid weight loss.
- Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is required to maintain skin elasticity. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin full and healthy.
- Balanced Diet: Don’t let a reduction in calorie intake mean you become undernourished. Eat a healthy, vaired diet that includes all of your essential nutrients, including proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
- Exercise Regularly: Incorporate strength training exercises into your fitness routine to build and tone muscle. Resistance workouts help avoid muscle loss during rapid weight loss and can help in preventing sagging.
- Sun Protection: Since sun damage can accelerate the aging process, always protect your skin from by using sunscreen. For additional protection, try wearing hats or sunglasses when outdoors.
Medspa Treatments to Combat Ozempic Face
If you’re experiencing the effects of rapid weight loss on your face, there are options to reverse some of these changes.
Facial Fillers
Dermal fillers can restore volume when it is lost from the cheeks, lips, and other areas of the face. Additionally, when placed strategically, fillers can help make sagging skin look more lifted, and they can minimize lines and wrinkles.
Ultherapy
Ultherapy is a non-invasive treatment that utilizes ultrasound energy to create a thermal change within the layers of the skin. The effect is that it stimulates collagen production, improving skin tightness and elasticity.
Thread Lift
Thread lift procedures involve the insertion of dissolvable threads beneath the skin to lift sagging areas, such as the cheeks and jowls. As the threads break down, it stimulates healing, including collagen production, to lift and tighten skin.
Are You Dealing With Loose Facial Skin?
If you are unhappy with loose or sagging facial skin from rapid weight loss or any other cause, contact us today. We can help you determine which treatment is right for you and help you to achieve your goal of a firmer, more youthful appearance.