If you’ve been thinking about taking a weight loss medication, then you’ve probably seen social media posts about “Ozempic Face.” Many people don’t think about how weight loss changes your face.
It probably sounds scary and might even make you reconsider Semaglutide Injections as weight loss options.
Will it happen to you? Is it a known side effect? And what can you do to stop it or fix it?
Fortunately, it sounds scarier than it is because even if you can’t prevent it, you can fix it. So before you cancel your doctor’s appointment, learn about what “Ozempic Face” is, why it happens, and how to improve it.
What is Ozempic Face?
The term “Ozempic Face” refers to how weight loss changes your face after rapid or significant weight loss.
Many people have noticed their faces looking droopier and older after using weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Fortunately, these symptoms probably aren’t directly caused by these drugs. They happen because of how weight loss changes your face. These medications produce results, both in weight loss and facial changes, more quickly than slower weight loss methods. Therefore, it’s more noticeable than it otherwise would be.
How Weight Loss Changes Your Face
Extra fat on your body can cause many weight-related health issues. However, it can have some benefits as well.
One of those is that extra fat stretches and smoothes your skin. You probably don’t want that around your waist, but it creates an anti-aging effect on your face.
So when you lose that weight, your facial skin may appear saggier, older, and less youthful. The areas most commonly affected are the neck, jowls, cheeks, and around the mouth.
Those who need to lose considerable weight for their health are often prepared for extra loose skin on their body. Their doctors will educate them about what will happen and how to deal with it.
But weight loss changes in the face aren’t discussed as often, leaving many people surprised when they look in the mirror.
Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash
Three Factors That Cause Face Changes After Weight Loss
Many people won’t experience these facial changes at all, which is part of why your healthcare provider may not think to discuss them.
Several factors can cause a loss of firmness after weight loss, including genetics and face shape. But the three most common are age, amount of weight lost, and how quickly you lose it.
Age
As we age, we stop producing as much collagen as we did in our youth. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that keeps our skin firm and elastic. The less we have, the more we sag, with or without weight loss.
So when your skin has been stretched for a long time due to excess fat, it will struggle to regain its shape after you lose it. The older you are, the less elastic ability your skin has to bounce back.
Amount of Weight Lost
Likewise, the amount of fat you lose will also affect whether or not your face changes.
If you only need to lose 20 pounds, you probably don’t have enough excess weight to cause a noticeable stretch to your skin. But if you need to lose 100 pounds or more, you’ll be more likely to experience loose skin following your weight loss.
How Quickly You Lose It
Finally, the speed at which you lose weight can also cause loose skin.
Quick weight loss, the kind most people have with medications or surgical weight loss, doesn’t give your body time to readjust to living with less fat. Therefore, your skin may take longer to regain its shape. And if the weight loss is substantial or you’re a bit older, your skin may not recover without help.
Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate the so-called Ozempic Face so that you can feel as healthy and confident as you should during your weight loss journey.
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How to Improve Facial Weight Loss Changes
Whether you’ve just started your weight loss program or you’ve reached your goal weight, there are several things you can do to improve the elasticity and look of your face.
These suggestions can work for you at any age, no matter how much weight you’ve lost or will lose.
The first step to reversing changes to your face is prevention.
Prevention
Supplements, appropriate skin care, and plenty of hydration—both from drinking water and moisturizing—may help reduce or prevent age- or weight-loss-related sagging and wrinkle formation.
You can replace a lack of collagen with supplements. They come in topical form, oral supplements, powdered mixes, and more. Quality matters in all nutrient replacements, so research before you buy.
Other supplements that improve sagging skin are hyaluronic acid, vitamin A/retinol, vitamins C, D, and E, and resveratrol. A well-balanced diet with many fruits and vegetables may provide enough nutrients without supplements.
Skincare includes removing makeup and washing your face, using a gentle toner, keeping your skin moisturized, and wearing sunscreen. The lotions, creams, and serums you use can vary depending on your age and skin type.
For those over 50, you may want to focus on skin-tightening and wrinkle-reduction more than general moisturizing.
And at any age, drinking enough water is vital for healthy skin care, hydration, and the production of the natural proteins your body makes to maintain your skin’s elasticity.
Facial Exercises and Massage
Most people don’t think about working out the muscles in their face, but it’s more important than you think.
Like everywhere else on your body, the muscles of your face weaken as you age, which affects the appearance of your skin.
However, facial exercises—especially for your cheeks and jawline—and facial massage can improve these muscles and help you regain some firmness in your face, jowls, and neck.
They are even more effective as preventative measures. So, the earlier you build them into your daily routine, the better!
Skin-Tightening Creams
Regular moisturizers and even anti-aging lotions help prevent fine lines. But if you have sagging skin after weight loss, they probably won’t be enough to rejuvenate your face.
Luckily, many skin-tightening creams and products on the market may do the trick.
The ingredients in these products are specially formulated to help your skin produce more collagen and elastin, leading to firmer skin.
However, as with supplements, do your research. While you don’t necessarily need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a quality product, you don’t want to waste money on something that has no chance of working.
Photo by @rossandhelen via Canva
Skin Treatments and Fillers
If preventative measures and skincare products don’t restore your skin to its previous state, the next step is to consider non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
There is a wide range of treatments available, but some of the most effective include skin-tightening and CO2 ablative laser treatments. These procedures use infrared light with radiofrequency or CO2 laser energy, respectively, to encourage cellular turnover and collagen and elastin production. As your skin heals, it will become smoother and firmer.
Another great option, especially if you want to avoid laser treatments, is microchanneling. This option has the same effect of increased collagen and elastin during the healing process by causing micro-damage to the skin.
For loose skin around the cheeks, eyes, and mouth, you may also consider fillers and Botox. These popular injections are a fantastic way to smooth and plump skin for a more youthful appearance.
Treatments like these can effectively reduce or eliminate loose skin after weight loss. Best of all, they are relatively pain-free, don’t require much or any downtime to heal, and are considerably more affordable than cosmetic surgery.
However, if your weight loss is significant, spa treatments may still not be enough.
Cosmetic Surgery
As a last resort, some people do require cosmetic surgery to improve sagging skin.
A surgical facelift procedure will bring your facial muscles and fat pads back to their original spot while removing excess loose skin.
This is the best and most effective option for people who have lost more than 100 pounds or are older. Although it may be costly and take more time to recover, it will provide the most dramatic results.
Have Patience with Weight Loss Changes
When you lose weight quickly, you put your body through many changes that can take a while to adapt to. The longer you’ve been overweight, the longer that adaptation will take. How your face changes after weight loss is only a minor concern compared to some of the dangers of unsupervised rapid weight loss.
But your face is the first thing people notice about you, and if you don’t feel confident in how it looks, that can seriously impact your mental wellness.
Luckily for many, your skin will naturally regain its elasticity and shape over time.
As long as you eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and follow a good skincare routine, your ‘Ozempic Face’ will probably only be temporary. With patience, you’ll look like yourself again in no time.
However, if you lose 100 pounds or more, loose skin is less likely to retract on its own. But it’s not hopeless.
There are numerous options available to help your skin following weight loss. Finding what works for you may take time, but it’ll be worth it when you both look and feel your best.
