Fat jabs gave me Ozempic face with sagging cheeks and thin lips – but I've found solution WITHOUT fillers
But as I glanced up to my face, the gaunt woman staring back at me came as a shock.
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After having skin cancer treatment in 2019 and becoming a single mum in lockdown, I'd gone from 7st to 13st in four years.
So I recently turned to weight loss jabs to regain my former shape.
I didn't regret it, but the side effect – ' Ozempic face' – as seen on celebrities like Sharon Osborne, wasn't something I'd bargained on.
I was 38 years old, but my sunken cheeks, gaunt eyes and thin lips had aged me overnight.
One relative had helpfully pointed out my new 'jowls' at a family gathering, while strangers on X told me I looked like a drug addict or permanently unwell.
I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt.
When I first gained weight, it didn't bother me at first.
Yes, none of my clothes fitted me my 5ft 4ins frame any more, but I was simply grateful to be alive for my daughter Mabel, now seven.
My mind was taken up with getting through my separation from her dad and surviving the pandemic. Baking banana bread was more of a priority than working out.
But as the trauma of my illness and break-up eased, I realised I wanted to feel like my old self again and ditch the stretchy leggings I had become so attached to.
In December 2023, I headed back to the gym four times a week and tried to eat less – but the weight was slow to drop off. Some weeks I didn't lose anything, despite trying so hard.
It didn't help that medication I was taking for OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] was an appetite stimulant. But stopping that wasn't an option.
After speaking to an online pharmacist I decided to try the jabs, which cost £179 a month.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
I had a false start with Saxenda, which gave me stomach pains, before settling into using Mounjaro in June 2024.
Over a 12-month period, I dropped back down to a size 8, without any of the anticipated stretch marks or loose skin. It felt great to wear my old clothes again.
But while I didn't love how my body looked at 13st, I preferred the appearance of my face compared to when I was skinny.
DRAMATIC CHANGE
It had fullness and shape, my skin glowed and there were barely any wrinkles.
I was dismayed by the dramatic change that came with slimming down and knew that no amount of 'miracle' skincare potions would ease the deep lines either side of my mouth, loss of volume in my cheeks, or the dark circles under my eyes.
For the first time ever, my skin felt crepey and dull, plus everything below my cheeks had dropped that little bit further south.
I considered more jabs to help and spent hours researching cheek fillers, nasolabial fold treatments and those skin rejuvenators that can bring back volume.
Some of the before-and-after photos online looked amazing.
But realistically, I knew I'd be lucky to walk out of a decent clinic with any change from £1,000. And even then, it would not be a permanent solution.
I don't regret the jabs one bit. Now I'm back to a healthy weight, I have more energy and confidence.
At the same time, it's not shallow to want to feel good when I look in the mirror.
If makeup can help me restore my pride when I see my reflection and make the best of what I've got, it will be a much cheaper fix – and easier for a busy single mum to recreate at home.
Follow the six simple steps
TOP makeup artist Aimee Adams reveals the tricks she used to transform Rebecca's look – and how others can use them to counter the signs of 'Ozempic face'
START WITH THE SKIN
Opt for products that contain collagen and hyaluronic acid, to restore brightness and improve the tone.
Make-up isn't Botox, but working from as healthy a base as possible will make the best of what you have.
Nip+Fab Hyaluronic Fix Extreme4 Jelly Eye Patches are perfect for an instant boost (£19.95 for 20 pairs, Boots).
TIME TO SHINE
Your base needs to reflect the light away from those grey hollows, so avoid heavy matt foundations and concealers.
I like Sculpted by Aimee HydraTint Moisturising Tinted Serum (£20, Boots) and Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer (£44, Amazon) to get a dewy feel.
KEEP AWAY FROM THE KARDASHIANS
It might work for Kim and co, but contouring will only make you look more gaunt.
Opt for a classic pink or peach cream blusher that isn't too oily on the apples of your cheeks instead, to add fullness and a flush of youth.
Water-based Delilah In Bloom Radiant Liquid Blush in Tiger Lilly (£23, Next) is perfect, set in place with a blush powder.
GO FOR GOLD
A smokey eye won't make your eyes pop if they are looking sunken.
Choose a golden eyeshadow to counteract it and add brightness, with a soft and smudgable brown eyeliner.
Finish with a couple of little lash extensions on the outsides to open things up, curl them and add a coat of Avon Exxtravert Extreme Volume Mascara (£9.50, Avon). Fill out those brows too, with Merit Beauty 1990 Ultra Fine Eyebrow Gel Pencil (£21, Sephora).
BE NATURAL
A bold liner and lipstick is overkill and will seem fake.
Choose a shade similar to your real lip colour if you really want to add volume, like e.l.f Love Triangle Lip Filler Liner in Soft Pink (£4, elfcosmetics.co.uk), plus a dewy or glossy finish.
If you want more extreme results, try PS Plumping Lip Serum (£3, Primark) – it can sting, but the difference is noticeable.
SET AND MATCH
Makeup can gather in the lines of your skin unless you set it properly after applying.
Sprays are popular, but a powder is longer-lasting and works well with creamier makeup, if used sparingly. You don't want it to become cakey.
I'm a fan of English Mineral Makeup Fairy Godmother (£59, englishiminerlmakeup.co.uk).
I LOVED the way Aimee transformed my face, making me look younger, healthier and less tired.
The under eyes were my favourite part – I couldn't believe how she got rid of those dark circles.
I've learned that the best approach is not to go heavy, especially with contour, which is a surprise given how obsessed makeup influencers are with this technique.
I'm definitely going to ditch it for a peach blusher and also swap my usual matte lipstick for a gloss.
This will be so much more affordable than aesthetic treatments – and fun to do.
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