“Ozempic Face” and “Ozempic Butt” have sprung up as pop-culture terms to describe the aesthetic concerns experienced by some who use semaglutide weight loss injections. These viral expressions were coined to describe loose skin and volume loss in the face and gluteal regions in particular.
In this post, we’ll look at what causes sagging skin after weight loss and review ways to combat it.
What Causes Post-Weight Loss Sagging Skin?
In reality, sagging skin after weight loss isn’t just an aftereffect of weight loss medications; any form of substantial and rapid weight loss can lead to these aesthetic concerns. Furthermore, semaglutide does not disproportionately target the face and buttocks, volume loss can occur anywhere throughout the body.
It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone will experience these unintended side effects. People who have been overweight for a long time or have a significant amount of weight to lose are more likely to experience sagging. That’s because their skin has been stretched out to a greater extent for a longer period of time.
Genetics and skin type play a role as well. Those with oilier skin, which tends to be better hydrated, are typically less prone to skin laxity issues. Younger patients often bounce back better than older patients because of greater amounts of collagen and elastin, which make skin more resilient.
Does Semaglutide Cause Muscle Loss?
Some studies[1] have found that semaglutide may lead to a decrease in muscle mass and fat loss. As a result, people who don’t exercise or consume enough protein to support their muscles are at higher risk for loose skin and volume loss in unwanted areas.
Surgical: How To Fix Ozempic Face & Sagging Body Skin
For those who are concerned with skin laxity and volume brought on by rapid weight loss, we offer many options to help. Surgery—such as facelift, tummy tuck, or body lift surgery—is always an option. However, it’s important to know that you would need to be off any semaglutide medication for several weeks before and after surgery. This is due to increased anesthesia risks and to ensure that the body receives the nutrition it needs to heal properly.
Learn more about stopping semaglutide before surgery.
Nonsurgical: How To Prevent & Treat Ozempic Face & Butt
Noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments are often a preferred choice because they can be safely used throughout your weight loss journey—even while taking semaglutide. Starting treatment before you reach your goal weight may help stimulate collagen production and support skin elasticity as your body changes, potentially minimizing the sagging skin that often appears after rapid weight loss.
Here are some effective nonsurgical options for promoting skin elasticity:
Evolve and Evoke
Collagen and elastin are 2 essential proteins that give your skin its elasticity or ability to retract and adapt to weight loss. Evoke (for the face and neck) and EvolveX (for the body) use radiofrequency (RF) to trigger skin cells to tighten as collagen and elastic production is stimulated. We recommend these 2 RF treatments as a proactive measure to help defend against loose sagging skin. Both can be performed safely while on semaglutide or similar GLP-1 medications.
Evolve Tone can also help with “Ozempic Butt” by using electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) technology to generate rapid, involuntary muscle contractions that strengthen, build, and define muscles. Treatments can be performed on the buttocks, abdomen, arms, and thighs.
Morpheus 8
Whereas Evolve and Evoke are completely noninvasive, allowing you to multitask throughout the painless hands-free sessions, Morpheus8 is a powerful, minimally invasive treatment that combines the benefits of radiofrequency with microneedling. By penetrating the deeper layers of the skin, Morpheus8 is able to heat the dermis, remodel the tissue in the dermis and sub-dermis, and promote new collagen production to result in smoother, firmer skin on the face, neck, and body.
FaceTite and BodyTite
FaceTite and BodyTite take nonsurgical skin tightening to the next level by simultaneously emitting radiofrequency energy (RF) both above and beneath the skin. This configuration allows the device to safely deliver a higher level of energy than other skin tightening devices that only affect the outside or inside of the skin.
Patients are awake during treatment, performed in the comfort of my Houston surgical suite, and are kept comfortable with the use of a local anesthetic and the option for conscious sedation. The treatment ends with Morpheus 8 microneedling; some use the term “EmbraceRF” in reference to combining FaceTite with a Morpheus 8 treatment. Unlike the other RF treatments at my medical spa, patients typically only need 1 session of FaceTite/BodyTite to achieve full results.
Fillers
I love using filler to restore lost volume of the face and buttocks (“liquid BBL”). But if you are considering the use of RF treatments AND fillers, it’s crucial to coordinate scheduling accordingly. Patients should wait at least 1 month after getting filler before having a Morpheus8 or Evoke treatment. While it’s possible to have a filler treatment immediately after receiving your final Evoke treatment, we advise patients to wait at least 24 hours after their Evoke treatment to be on the safe side.
We recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after a Morpheus8 treatment for a filler injection. Fillers and FaceTite can be done on the same day, with FaceTite performed first, followed by filler.
A “Liquid BBL” with fillers can be a particularly great option for patients on semaglutide since fillers do not metabolize the way fat does. Ideally, Evolve Tone treatments would be performed before versus after a liquid BBL, but the order is not as consequential in comparison to the aforementioned treatment combinations.
Ready To Reshape Your Body?
If you are considering starting my #CashedOut semaglutide program for rapid weight loss, it’s important to be mindful that skin laxity and loss of facial or gluteal volume are a possibility—although not an inevitability.
I offer several medspa treatments to help counteract these aesthetic concerns. It is important to have realistic expectations for what can be achieved without the use of a scalpel, but they do offer minimal downtime, little to no scarring, and other benefits. Enhancing the results of nonsurgical treatments with surgery later down the line can yield cumulative benefits for your newly trimmed figure.
To discuss all your options, and help determine the best pathways for you, call our Houston, TX, office today at (713) 571-0600 or request a consultation online.
[1] https://ro.co/weight-loss/ozempic-muscle-loss/
Leave a Reply