The pursuit of weight loss is a common goal, driven by desires for improved health, enhanced self-esteem, and a better physical appearance. The diabetes medication Ozempic (semaglutide) has recently seen a surge in usage by people seeking dramatic weight loss results, with more than 15 million people currently using a prescription. While the benefits of shedding excess pounds are well-documented, the effect of weight loss on facial aesthetics is an often-overlooked aspect. This article explores the facial changes associated with losing 20 pounds, particularly in the context of rapid weight loss induced by medications like Ozempic, and provides insights on how to manage these changes.
Understanding Facial Changes After Weight Loss
Losing weight can lead to noticeable changes in your face. When you lose weight, the fat stored in your face decreases, resulting in a more defined jawline and cheekbones. Moreover, weight loss can reduce swelling and puffiness, giving your face a more sculpted appearance. However, it is important to note that individual outcomes may vary.
Faces before weight loss are often rounder, puffier, and may actually appear younger in some cases. Faces after weight loss still have the same overall “look.” However, after weight loss, you’ll notice that your face loses some of its “rounded” shape. As your skin settles on more of your face’s natural bone structure, you’ll see more definition and angles. Your cheekbones and jawline especially slim out, while even your forehead loses volume around your temples.
Every face before and after weight loss journey can significantly change due to the reduction of overall body fat. When the face goes through massive change due to weight loss, the transformation is widely known to lead to an Ozempic face. As you shed pounds, the fat stored in facial areas decreases, revealing more defined facial traits. Genetics also influence how fat is distributed, impacting facial appearance.
The term “Ozempic face” refers to the changes in the face that can happen with rapid weight loss. It’s characterized by gauntness, sunken cheeks, new wrinkles and loose skin on the face and neck. ‘Ozempic face’ isn’t a side effect of the medication itself. Rather, it’s a side effect of the rapid weight loss the medication can bring. Facial changes can also occur after having bariatric surgery or adopting lifestyle changes that cause very rapid weight loss.
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Factors Influencing Facial Changes
During weight loss, facial changes occur due to a combination of factors. One primary cause is the reduction of overall body fat, including fat in the face. This results in a loss of facial volume and can lead to a more defined jawline and cheekbones. Aging and genetics also play a role in facial changes during weight loss. It is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine to minimize these changes. Losing weight can lead to noticeable facial changes, but the amount of weight loss required varies for each individual. Factors such as genetics, body composition, and overall health play a role.
Three main factors impact our face fat loss transformation-age, the amount of weight loss, and the speed of losing weight. Our skin produces less collagen as we age, making it less firm and elastic. If your skin has been stretched due to excess fat over time, it may struggle to regain shape after weight loss, especially as you age. The amount of weight you lose impacts your skin. Your skin may have a less obvious impact if it’s a small amount, like 20 pounds. However, losing a significant amount, say 100 pounds, increases the likelihood of loose skin. Rapid loss doesn't give your skin enough time to adjust. Rapid weight loss might lead to saggy skin and a longer recovery period to look back to normal. If you’re older or the weight loss is substantial, your skin may need additional treatment to look beautiful again.
Common Facial Changes After Weight Loss
Weight loss can have a significant effect on the way our face looks, often resulting in noticeable alterations. These include:
Reduction of Facial Fat: When you lose weight, one common facial change is the loss of facial fat. This can result in a more defined facial structure and a leaner appearance.
Sagging Skin: Sagging skin is a common concern after weight loss. The face loses its underlying structure as fat disappears too quickly for the skin to adapt and shrink at the same rate. This results in excessive, loose skin with far less volume, creating the facial drooping or sagging associated with Ozempic's dramatic weight loss.
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Hollowed Cheeks: Hollowed cheeks are a common facial change after weight loss. Weight loss can diminish the fat pads around your eyes, making them look like they’re set deeper into your face.
Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Fine lines and wrinkles are common facial changes that can occur after weight loss. As your skin loses collagen, wrinkles and fine lines start to appear.
Ozempic and Facial Drooping
The diabetes medication Ozempic (semaglutide) has recently seen a surge in usage by people seeking dramatic weight loss results, with more than 15 million people currently using a prescription. With its ability to make people feel fuller and slow down digestion, leading to reduced calorie intake, Ozempic has become a popular way to shed pounds quickly. The loss of facial fat from Ozempic can lead to sagging skin, a hollowed-out appearance, and increased wrinkling that makes people look prematurely aged. Facial drooping or sagging refers to the loss of firmness and elasticity in the facial skin and tissues, resulting in a noticeably more aged and hollowed appearance. When taking Ozempic, this drooping effect happens because the medication causes rapid and significant weight loss. As people lose weight, they also lose the underlying fat that helps plump and fill out the face. “Without facial fat to support it, the skin can start to sag and droop downwards, leading to exaggerated lines, wrinkles, and a deflated, gaunt look - especially around the cheeks, jawline, and under the eyes,” says Dr. Michael Rose, M.D., FACS, a plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Center.
While the exact number of Ozempic users who experience this symptom is currently unknown, women seem to lose more weight than men when taking Ozempic, which could lead to an increased prevalence of facial drooping among women. Noticeable facial drooping seems to commonly occur after losing around 15-20 pounds or 10-20% of your total body weight. This amount of weight loss often happens over a span of 2-6 months while taking Ozempic.
Managing and Preventing Undesirable Facial Changes
Losing weight can have numerous beneficial effects on our bodies, but it can also result in changes to our facial appearance that may not be desirable. Fortunately, there are several strategies to prevent or reduce these facial changes following weight loss.
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Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise Routine: Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine is crucial for preventing or minimizing facial changes during weight loss. The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to experience Ozempic face. Focus on slower weight loss - about one to two pounds per week. You can also minimize these side effects by using your medication in combination with a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
Stay Hydrated: To prevent or minimize facial changes after weight loss, it is important to stay hydrated. Stay hydrated, which helps your skin stay elastic.
Consider Non-Surgical Options: Considering non-surgical options can be beneficial in mitigating facial changes after weight loss.
Additional Tips for Revitalizing Facial Structure
Hydrate your skin using products like hyaluronic acid and a quality moisturizer.
Boost collagen and cell production with ingredients like retinol and peptides.
Explore non-permanent options like facial fillers mimicking hyaluronic acid. Learn more about dermal fillers at Dr.
Massage your face and apply facial exercises to help with skin elasticity.
Sleep enough hours to help your body regain energy.
Eat a balanced diet for glowing skin throughout the weight loss journey. Fitelo suggests reducing sugar, opting for a calorie deficit, and limiting salt.
Medical and Cosmetic Interventions
There are a few surgical and non-surgical options for reducing facial sagging from Ozempic. For many patients experiencing facial sagging and volume loss from Ozempic, a combination of treatments can help restore facial volume.
Dermal Fillers: Temporary fillers like hyaluronic acid can be injected into areas of volume loss to re-plump and smooth out wrinkles, folds, and hollow areas.
Neck Lift: This procedure is similar to a facelift but focused on the neck area.
Noninvasive procedures like microneedling, platelet-rich plasma (PRP injections) and radio frequency (RF) skin tightening may help reduce wrinkles and improve the overall appearance of your skin.
Injectables like Botox® and dermal fillers can help plump up wrinkles and smooth lines on your face. Lip fillers can add volume to thin lips.
Cosmetic procedures can also change the way your face looks. 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.
Real-Life Transformations and Maintaining a Positive Outlook
Losing weight can be intimidating. It requires major dedication in the form of extra hours at the gym and a diet overhaul; not to mention, some serious soul searching. But many glossy, photoshopped images of models in magazines can be misleading and cause a dieter to lose hope, or even worse, develop body dysmorphic disorder. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of ten real people with real Instagram accounts and real (incredible) transformations.
Here are a few examples of individuals who have successfully transformed their bodies and faces through weight loss:
- Jessica lost 20 lbs in 6 months!
- This Montreal-based traveler is proud to admit that she’s crushed one goal: dropping 20 pounds. Her next goal is to keep the lbs off-and we’re so rooting for her.
- Sterling learned to love her body by making gains at her gym and even putting in work late at night! This fit and fab self-proclaimed selfie queen is killing the ‘gram with her incredible transformation that bumped her down from 202 pounds to 175!
- Javy has lost over 20 pounds so far and feels so close to what she wants her ideal goal to be.
- Lauren has trimmed down her waist by keeping her portions in check and filling up on low-carb and high-protein snacks like ham, egg, spinach and cheese scrambles as well as shrimp scampi with roasted broccoli.
- Kim attributes her stellar lifestyle and body transformation to eating clean, portioned meals. She’s lost over 20 pounds and feels better than ever.
These transformations highlight the power of dedication and a healthy lifestyle in achieving weight loss goals and improving overall well-being.