What is Ozempic Face? Why It Happens and How to Fix It

Written by: Jill Team

“Ozempic face” refers to typical side effects from the type 2 diabetes drug, semaglutide (Ozempic), that could lead to facial skin appearing aged or saggy.

In this article we’ll cover:

What Ozempic is
What Ozempic face is
What causes Ozempic face
What Ozempic face looks like
What happens if you stop taking Ozempic
How to prevent and reduce side effects causing Ozempic face
Frequently asked questions.

Let’s get into it!

What Is Ozempic?

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are all brand names for a drug known as semaglutide. In Canada, Ozempic is marketed by Novo Nordisk, and is Health Canada approved.

Semaglutide is prescribed by medical teams in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and to assist with long-term weight management in the treatment of obesity. Those with high risk of cardiovascular events — ie, adults with high cholesterol, triglycerides, or high risk of heart attack or stroke — may also be prescribed Ozempic.

The drug is able to control type 2 diabetes by stimulating the production of insulin, supporting improved glycemic control, and lowering your A1C levels. Ozempic is generally self-administered via weekly injection with a pen (complex hypodermic needle), similar to an EpiPen.

Recently, Ozempic has become popular thanks to its weight loss benefits. This is due to the fact that the drug suppresses hunger signals, which can lead to decreased appetite and therefore put you into a calorie deficit. This has been popularized by certain celebrities and social media influencers, leading to an increased demand for the drug.

Ozempic is currently only approved in Canada for use by type-2 diabetics and those with a BMI over 27. As it’s a prescription medication, side effects (as shown in this 2022 study (among others)) will need to be considered by both the prescriber and patient.

These side effects can include:

Stomach (abdomen) pain
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Nausea
Constipation.

Other studies have also shown that semaglutide can cause thyroid cancer in mice (though it’s not yet known if it’ll do the same in humans), inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), and other more severe side effects.

What Is “Ozempic Face”?

What Is the Cause of Ozempic Face?

What Happens When I Stop Taking Ozempic?

How Can I Prevent and Reduce The Side Effects That Cause Ozempic Face?

The primary factors when it comes to weight management are caloric input and caloric output. If you monitor both of these variables, you can avoid losing weight at a rate that is undesirable to you — as a general rule of thumb, losing about 2 lbs a week is considered both safe and sustainable.

Alongside this, there are several other ways that you can slow down the rate of weight loss you are experiencing.

Reducing the Dosage

Talk to your medical team about the possibility of reducing your Ozempic dose — this may help with appetite issues. Be sure to never change your dosage without medical supervision, as this could lead to unwanted side effects.

Changing to a Different Medication

Your medical team may be able to prescribe a medication that suits your health objectives better than semaglutide drugs do. It’s possible that this will help you slow down the rate of your weight loss.

Drinking Enough Water Every Day

Hydration is good for your skin, kidneys, other organs, and general bodily functions. Be sure not to dehydrate or over-hydrate. Everybody has different daily ideal volumes of water they should be consuming.

Checking hydration recommendations against your BMI is a good way to work out exactly how much water you should be drinking in a day.

Improving Nutrient Intake

Be sure that you are eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and essential minerals and oils. Supporting your body with all the energy and nutrients it needs is crucial to good health.

Using Dermatological Fillers

Ozempic face is, at its core, an aesthetic complaint. The experts at medically treating those kinds of complaints are plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and beauticians.

Fillers are a commonly suggested solution to wrinkles and sagging skin.

Embracing Natural Changes

Ultimately, your relationship to your physical appearance is deeply personal and frequently very complex. It’s easy to imagine that changing your appearance will improve your self-esteem, but this is often not the case. It’s crucial that you identify and address the core issues that are causing you distress regarding your appearance.

Ask yourself: are the features of my appearance something that upset me, or something that society has deemed not good enough?

This little thought experiment might help you begin to untangle some of the underlying feelings you have with your appearance.

On the other hand, your body is yours and yours alone. If you decide it really is crucial to your wellbeing (physical or mental) that you adjust it, don’t let anyone stand in your way.

Furthermore, as you begin your weight management journey, be sure to embrace any changes in your body! It’s vital to recognise that as you age, your skin’s elasticity and firmness also changes, which can affect your appearance. This is especially true when you lose weight.

Be prepared for the realities — sagging skin and all!

Key Takeaways

Ozempic face is a side effect of rapid weight loss, manifesting as loose skin and a wrinkled, gaunt appearance, whether or not you’re using the drug to assist with weight management.

Managing your weight, changing your dosage, or coming off Ozempic may possibly help you avoid rapid weight loss.

Regardless of treatments, rapid weight loss will often result in Ozempic face.

Ozempic Face FAQs

What does Ozempic face look like?

What is Ozempic popular for?

What is Ozempic prescribed for?

What is the biggest side effect of Ozempic?

The biggest side effect of Ozempic is not Ozempic face. Adverse reactions associated with Ozempic use are:

A risk of thyroid C-cell tumors
Pancreatitis
Kidney injury
Gallbladder disease.

Before beginning Ozempic or any other semaglutide, be sure to discuss the side effects with your health provider, especially if you have either a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or pancreatitis.

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