Americans’ desire to lose weight has reached a new zenith. In the last year alone, there’s been a 111% increase in prescriptions for Ozempic. This is one of a class of medicine designed to treat or prevent Type 2 diabetes. A positive side effect for some patients may be weight loss. Since extra weight can adversely affect your overall health as well as your self-esteem, these drugs are proving to be a game
changer.
However, they are not without side effects. Whenever you lose a lot of weight, especially quickly, you may potentially be left with loose skin. Furthermore, properly placed fat is actually one of the pillars of a youthful look. As a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in body contouring, I want my patients to understand the effect that weight loss can have on the body as well as how to best treat the “Ozempic face” and the “Ozempic butt”
What is Ozempic?
A number of drugs have recently come to market to treat and prevent Type 2 diabetes. These include:
- Ozempic (semaglutide)
- Wegovey (semaglutide)
- Mojourno (tirzepatide)
Wegovey is the only one with FDA approval for weight loss, but the others are being used off-label with Ozempic being the one with the most press. They all work by stimulating the production of insulin when your blood sugar levels are high and slowing down the speed at which your stomach empties. This means that you feel less hunger while also losing stored fat. As discussed, this can have a number of health benefits, especially for those who are obese. But losing a lot of weight can also result in loose and sagging skin.
Weight Loss Drugs & Loose Skin
Those taking a weight loss drug in their 20’s may still be young enough for the skin to re-form over their new, slimmer contour. However, some weight loss patients are older. If you fall into this category, chances are that you have been carrying around these extra pounds for a few years. Not only has your skin stretched, but each subsequent candle on your birthday cake means that the body produces less collagen and elastin. These are the two building blocks of lifted, plump skin. So though these drugs can effectively get rid of the extra fat, you may be left with sagging skin in your:
- Face
- Buttocks
- Breasts
- Abdomen
- Arms
- Thighs
Treating Ozempic Face & Ozempic Butt
There are a number of options for treating Ozempic face and Ozempic butt, both surgical and non-surgical. The right one for you is going to depend on your anatomy and needs as well as your tolerance for downtime. The advantage of a non-surgical procedure is that most require less time off. The disadvantage is a less precise and robust result as you can get with a surgical procedure. Some of the non-surgical options that I offer my Boston area patients to address lax skin include:
- Lasers
- Radiofrequency
- Micro-needling with the SkinPen®
- Renuvion®
Surgery is a more involved treatment option that typically requires more time for recovery as well as an incision. However, any surgical procedure is going to give me more access in order to re-contour your body into its proper proportion, and therefore deliver a more transformative result. The surgical procedures that I use most often with my weight loss patients include:
- Facelift
- Neck Lift
- Tummy Tuck
- Breast Lift
- Mastopexy Augmentation
Fat is Not a Universal Enemy
The other issue that many patients don’t consider when losing weight is that fat is not a universal enemy. In fact, properly placed fat is a key component to looking rejuvenated. My job is to create proper proportions with appropriate peaks and valleys, as in sculpture. For this reason, I will often treat Ozempic face with either:
- Fillers
- Fat grafting
Both help to restore lost volume in the mid-face which leads to that hollow, sunken look that can be incredibly aging. The same principle holds true for the buttocks. A lack of fat at the top of your bottom contributes to the flat, deflated butt that you see in older men and women. There are a couple of different treatment options including:
- Sculptra
- Fat grafting to the buttocks
Both can help re-create the lifted, perky bottom of your youth which has the added benefit of helping to make your abdomen appear flatter and your legs look longer. So, if you have recently lost a lot of weight and you still aren’t feeling 100%, make an appointment to come in and speak with me. To find out more about treatment options for addressing loose skin and volume loss post weight loss, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Brookline office, contact us today or call (617) 450.0070 to schedule a consultation.