You may have noticed the rapid weight loss that’s going around Hollywood. Celebrities and everyday people alike are popping up on social media drastically thin and with significant changes to their bodies. It’s hard to gauge where fat will leave our bodies when we tweak our diets, ramp up on exercise or join the latest weight loss trend. For some, it’s been a slimmer waistline on its own. For others, it’s been paired with a slightly sunken face.
Many medical professionals have come forward in noticing an uptick in consultations being pursued by Ozempic users. It’s also become the topic of its own conversation trending on social media platforms. Is this change the result of Ozempic use, rapid weight loss or both? What is Ozempic face and why is it happening? Here’s what we found.
What Is Ozempic?
Approved to treat Type II Diabetes, Ozempic is a pharmaceutical that is known to cause weight loss. This happens as a result of its active ingredient: semaglutide. Semaglutide can help to manage insulin levels by producing a synthetic version of GLP-1, a hormone produced by our bodies when we eat.
Once in the bloodstream, and more specifically the brain, it causes us to think that we’ve eaten already. We feel fuller faster when our appetites are curbed. The makers of the drug, Novo Nordisk, have stated that they do not “promote, suggest or encourage off-label use”. Still, people are creating a demand for the drug despite not having a diabetes diagnosis.
What is Ozempic Face and Why Is It Happening?
An NYC-based dermatologist explained that “Ozempic face” is the skin sagging and/or volume loss due to rapid weight loss. The skin that wrapped around or held up fat no longer has that job. In addition to saggy skin, fine lines can develop particularly along the under-eyes, cheeks and jawline. A TikToker who said she had weight loss surgery, shared that a sunken face is not exclusively the result of Ozempic. It did, however, cause her to consider fillers and botox to replace the plumpness, helping her look and feel younger. These maintenance options cost upwards of $1,000 and come with their own set of effects that require awareness.
Additional Side Effects of Ozempic
Dermatologists have also noted that it’s hard to tell at this stage of use, with the drug being rather new, whether Ozempic is causing changes faster than natural weight loss. This happens to be the most common side effect of Ozempic use and losing a lot of weight over a short period of time. Ozempic users have also reported nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as additional side effects. Despite the backlash of using Ozempic for off-label reasons, several celebrities have been accused of using the drug for vanity. Quickly thin selfies and slimmed-down red-carpet appearances have caused internet dwellers to guesstimate, but we’ll honestly never know until they come forward.
In the meantime, this is our reminder that the use of any drug requires consultation; if not for anything else, but your safety. And, while the embrace of eurocentric beauty standards should also come with a warning label, those decisions are left up to us. Love your body, love your face and love yourself no matter what side of the Ozempic train you find yourself.