What Is the "Ozempic Face" and What Can You Do About It?

What Is the "Ozempic Face" and What Can You Do About It?

• The Ozempic medicine can reduce facial fat, which for some people leads to the "Ozempic face," a wrinkled, aged look.
• Gastrointestinal problems, skin rashes, and itching are risks of using this medication.
• It is possible to regain the weight you lost when you stop using Ozempic.

Although Ozempic is a medication for type 2 diabetes adults that is intended to assist regulate blood sugar levels, many other individuals use this medication for its capacity to encourage weight reduction. The hashtag "Ozempic" has garnered recent media attention and has received 450 million views on TikTok. However, "Ozempic face" is one of the adverse effects mentioned by consumers. The phrase "Ozempic face" describes the increased wrinkling or hollowing of the face that occurs when individuals taking the medicine Ozempic lose weight. A reduction of facial volume can give the face a haggard look by emphasising the facial features. "Ozempic works by increasing the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 that slows down our digestion and makes us feel full," explained Dr Alicia Shelly, a board-certified internal medicine/obesity medicine specialist at the Wellstar Douglasville Medical Centre in Douglasville, Georgia, to Healthline. As a result, cravings will be reduced and servings will be lower.

The medication is injected once a week into the thigh, stomach, or arm.

The 'Ozempic faces origin 

Extreme weight loss is the key factor.

"The loss of fat tissue from the face is very common with any weight loss, especially when is significant (15 or > 20% of body weight)," stated Dr Silvana Obici, Chief of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Division at Stony Brook Medicine. Therefore, those who lose weight may appear older and more wrinkled.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, face fillers are one approach to restoring some of the lost fullness. There are many various kinds of fillers, some of which are temporary and others of which are permanent. Fillers might be a solution if you notice that your face is drooping or looking more haggard after losing weight.

Other Ozempic side effects

The most frequent adverse effects of GLP-1-based therapy include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and constipation. According to Dr Chris Damman, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Gastroenterology & Medicine at the University of Washington and Chief Medical Officer of Supergut, patients may less frequently suffer rashes or itching at the injection site.

What occurs if you stop using Olympic 

If changes to one's lifestyle are not made, weight gain may result. Foods that naturally stimulate GLP-1 are advised. "After quitting Ozempic, weight gain is probable. Consuming a nutritious diet that contains natural GLP-1 stimulators is a complementary method to enhance and preserve metabolic health, according to Dr Damman. According to Damman, "Natural stimulators include many of the food ingredients that are under-consumed as a result of food processing, like healthy unsaturated fats, potassium, and prebiotic fibres."

Additionally, a lot of people who used drugs comparable to Wegovy gained weight back. Because obesity is a chronic illness, Shelly explained, when you stop taking your medication, you can gain weight. Studies, however, confirm that people do recover their weight.

How to keep your weight in check

Diet is a key factor, according to doctors. It has been demonstrated that increasing whole foods and complementing processed foods with prebiotic fibres such as resistant starch and beta-glucan will reduce blood sugar increases following meals and regulate appetite, according to Damman. "For designing a comprehensive approach to metabolic health," ask your doctor.

Although the medicine is not a miracle cure for weight reduction, it is one element that could aid in the process for certain people. After taking the medicine, Dr Shelly said, "You can continue your healthy habits (exercise and a healthy diet) to help maintain your weight."

Takeaway

Ozempic has developed a solid reputation for its capacity to aid in weight loss. However, it's typical for people to lose weight in their faces, which can give them an "Ozempic face"—an elderly, haggard appearance. Ozempic side effects include rashes, itching, and digestive problems. You risk regaining weight after you stop using this medication.