Ozempic for rapid weight loss may result in facial sagging, drooping

Taking Ozempic may result in a side effect coined the “Ozempic face drop,” according to Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, a private facial plastic surgeon in New York.

“This is the decrease in facial volume leading to sagging and drooping of the face,” Vasyukevich, who is also an assistant clinical professor at Montefiore Medical Center, told Healio.

Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, was approved by the FDA in 2017 to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. In the related clinical trials, once-weekly Ozempic also resulted in statistically significant weight loss.

Konstantin Vasyukevich

“Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist which means it is involved in something we call gastric emptying,” Vasyukevich said. “This means the individual will be fuller for longer periods of time because the hormone slows down the rate our stomachs are able to empty food.”

The drug’s link to weight loss has recently resulted in doctors prescribing Ozempic off-label to patients and, according to Vasyukevich, the rapid weight loss the drug affords these patients is what causes “Ozempic face drop.”

“I would recommend that anyone prescribing Ozempic make the patient aware they might develop the sagging and drooping of soft tissue on the face,” Vasyukevich said.

This face drop is most prominent in the chin, neck, jaw and lower face area, Vasyukevich said, with full effects becoming visible within roughly 8 weeks. The drop is caused by a loss of skin elasticity, which occurs when the body is not given adequate time to account for the rapid weight loss, according to Vasyukevich.

Currently, the American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends using dermal fillers to restore fullness to the face. According to Vasyukevich, other medical tools and techniques that could improve the “Ozempic face drop” may include a face or neck lift.

“There really is no such thing as an appropriate amount of time to let the body shrink. If you are losing a significant amount of weight, the stretch tissue may not be able to shrink back to the original contour,” Vasyukevich said. “So, any weight loss — whether medication induced, diet induced or surgery induced — can cause excessive amounts of sagging and ‘face dropping.’ Building muscle while also losing weight is a good way to help protect your skin.”

As far as those patients who are considering taking Ozempic for weight loss, Vasyukevich said they should listen to their doctor.

“Follow the doctor’s advice because weight loss isn’t so much an aesthetic problem as it is a health problem,” Vasyukevich explains. “Health definitely takes precedence over appearance in any doctor’s mind.”

References:

• American Academy of Dermatology Association: Fillers. https://www.aad.org/public/cosmetic/wrinkles/fillers-overview. Accessed March 7, 2023.
• Ozempic (semaglutide) approved in the US. https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=712. Published Dec. 5, 2017. Accessed March 7, 2023.

For more information:

Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD, can be reached at kylee@3dprmarketing.com