What Is Ozempic Face?
Introduction
Ozempic is a life-changing chronic obesity treatment that helps patients lose weight and keep it off. As with all treatments, Ozempic carries the chance of side effects.One of the most discussed side effects of the drug is what’s known as “Ozempic Face.”
It is essential to learn about Ozempic and the possible side effects if you're considering weight loss injections. Understanding how the medication works, why Ozempic Face occurs, and the physiological causes will help demystify the condition and enable you to discuss Ozempic side effect management with an experienced weight loss professional.
What Is Ozempic and What Is it Used For?
Ozempic is an FDA-approved diabetes medication that patients self-administer with a pre-dosed injector. Doctors also use the medication off-label for weight loss. Such use is a common medical practice for drugs with proven benefits outside their FDA approval.
The injections help you lose weight by slowing digestion to keep your stomach fuller for longer and extend your sense of satiety. This effect reduces how many calories you consume to create the deficit needed to burn body fat.
What Is Ozempic Face?
Ozempic Face refers to a condition in which the face appears sunken, saggy, or gaunt following treatment with Ozempic. Some patients report that the changes to their facial contours make them look washed out or older. Doctors propose that the loss of deep fat can lead to folds around the mouth and nose, while a drop in superficial fat can lead to sunken cheeks.
The skin is an elastic layer of tissue supported by an underlying network of proteins, subcutaneous fat, blood vessels, and other stabilizing anatomical structures. Ozempic causes weight loss across the entire body rather than targeted areas. As a result, patients can lose fat in their faces.
The reduction in fat removes a supportive base for the tissue, leading the outer layer of skin to droop or sag as its framework shrinks. The rapidity of weight loss with Ozempic can exacerbate this effect because the skin does not naturally tighten fast enough to keep up with the loss of fat.
How Can You Prevent Ozempic Face?
Ozempic Face occurs when patients lose weight at an excessive pace. The best way to combat its development is by working with an experienced weight loss doctor who understands the nuances of treating patients with Ozempic. A medically managed weight loss program monitors your progress to ensure your weight loss progresses at a healthy rate.
Your doctor will determine the best dose to help you lose weight at a rate that allows your body to adjust to the fat loss, thereby minimizing your odds of developing Ozempic Face.
Taking proactive steps to fortify your skin and promote its health can also help prevent Ozempic Face. Keeping hydrated and maintaining your protein intake as your appetite shifts can provide vital nutrients that support the skin's resilience and elasticity.
How Can You Treat Ozempic Face?
Fillers
Fillers are injections placed under the skin to create volume and structure. Options include products such as Juvederm and Restylane. The injectables fill in the gaps beneath the skin created by the fat loss to simulate the underlying structures that support the skin.
Fillers require periodic re-injections because your body will metabolize the injectable over time, causing the gaps beneath your skin to return.
Plasma Injections
Plasma injections are a facial rejuvenation technique that stimulates collagen production. When they’re administered, doctors use a sample of your blood to create platelet-rich plasma that they then inject into your face.
The influx of platelets induces your body's repairing processes to create collagen, thereby rebuilding the skin's underlying framework to raise sagging or drooping areas and produce an appearance of fullness.
Microneedling
Microneedling is a skin-tightening and rejuvenating process that leverages the body's healing ability to restore the skin. The treatment works by making tiny punctures in the skin.
This action initiates increased collagen production to strengthen the underlying framework that supports the skin while replacing the outer layer of the skin with new cells.
Fat Transfer
Doctors can also use fat transfers to replace the fat lost beneath your facial skin. In this procedure, they will remove fat from the hips or abdomen via liposuction, purify the extracted tissue, and inject it into your face to add fullness. This procedure is a more invasive technique than the aforementioned ones and requires enough fat on the body for safe liposuction.
Face or Neck Lift
A face or neck left is a cosmetic procedure in which doctors make small incisions in discrete areas, often near the hairline, and then remove or reposition skin. The procedure may also redistribute existing skin, muscle, and fat tissue to contour the face and restore a fuller appearance.
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November 13, 2023
Written By
Jake Peter
Fact-checked By
Dr. Avidon Appel
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