Ozempic side effect is behind a spike in 'quick fix' plastic surgeries
Many are thrilled to shed 20lbs or more, but horrified by the sagging skin, hollow cheeks and excess folds they are left with from the sudden loss of volume.
This 'deflation' in various parts of the body has been dubbed 'Ozempic face', 'Ozempic boobs', 'Ozempic butt' and even 'Ozempic hands'.
And it has led many patients to seek filler to restore volume, or surgeries like facelifts, neck lifts and tummy tucks to remove excess skin.
Marlee Bruno, an aesthetician who runs Mind Body and Soul Medical in Florida, told DailyMail.com: 'We are absolutely experiencing a huge rise, major uptick, in people seeking fillers as a result of weight loss drugs.
'Most people are using it as a quick-fix for loose and sagging skin because there is very little downtime. We're also seeing a surge in men seeking the injections.'
And Dr Sam Fuller, a plastic surgeon in Indiana, added to this website: 'Oh my goodness. It's astronomical this increase in people seeking surgeries.
'I am actually very supportive of skinny shots as they provide a safe and sustainable way to lose weight. [But] there is a dramatic loss of elasticity and excess skin in a variety of areas of the body, leading people to seek surgery.'
Prescriptions for weight loss drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, have surged more than 700 percent in the US among those who do not have diabetes, and who are prescribed the drug off label, from 21,000 prescriptions in 2019 to about 174,000 in 2023.
Overall, 1.9million Americans have been prescribed a weight loss drug since 2018, according to data analysis company Truveta, and more than 9.3million prescriptions for the medications have been issued.
While patients lose several pounds on the injections every month, the weight loss happens so rapidly that they are often left with loose skin as a result of the loss of fat and muscle volume.
For those in their 20s and 30s, plastic surgeons said their skin should still be able to bounce back, while sunken cheeks and hollow eyes should recover, but for older adults, they can be left with loose hanging skin.
To combat the loss, people turn to injectable substances used to restore volume, smooth wrinkles and enhance facial features.
They typically last for around three months and cost around $500 to $1,200 per syringe. Fillers are minimally invasive and can be inserted during a single appointment, with patients able to return to normal life the same day.
Dr Adam Rubinstein, a plastic surgeon in Florida, added to this website: 'This has been a trend for a little while, and it is not so much some sort of side effect of Ozempic or Mounjaro or drugs like them, it is really just a normal consequence of weight loss.
'But, because so many people have had weight loss made easier by these medications, a lot more people are losing weight, losing weight everywhere and then seeking these treatments.
'Even after you lose 10 or 15lbs, you notice facial changes. Sometimes the amount of weight you lose can show up in your face.'
Data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which tracks cosmetic and surgical procedures in the US, found that filler injections have more than doubled between 2017, when Ozempic was first approved, and 2024, the latest date available.
Ozempic was originally approved for type 2 diabetics, but it has been prescribed off-label by doctors to those who are looking to lose weight.
Its sister medication Wegovy, which uses the same active ingredient semaglutide, was approved in June 2021 for weight loss.
There were around 6.2million filler injections carried out in the latest year, they found, compared to just 2.6million when the weight loss drugs were first approved.
Bruno and Dr Rubinstein, a plastic surgeon in Florida, said that the 'bulk' of this increase was down to the surge in the use of weight loss drugs.
But they also said that over this period society has become more accepting of fillers and more people have been open about receiving injections, further raising demand.
ASPS data also showed there had been a 32 percent surge in abdominoplasties, or tummy tucks, over the same period, from 129,000 to 170,000 annually.
Scott Disick shocked the public when he emerged looking gaunt and malnourished in March last year, with images later emerging of weight loss drugs in his refrigerator
Above is a woman who lost 135lbs after using a GLP-1 medication. She received a tummy tuck and breast lift and augmentation
There's been a 45 percent surge in demand for breast lifts, used to reduce sagging breasts, with the number performed annually rising from 105,000 to 153,000.
Surgeries tend to be less popular because of the higher cost and longer downtime required for patients.
But more individuals are still opting for them as the fastest way to get rid of loose skin caused by rapid weight loss.
Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs have seen their prescriptions skyrocket in recent years for their ability to help someone lose weight with little more than a weekly injection.
One study found that prescriptions for those who do not have diabetes has surged 700 percent from 2019 to 2024.
Surveys also estimate that up to 12 percent of Americans may now have tried a weight loss drug.
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