The No. 1 Ozempic Side Effect “Nobody Warns About”
Weight-loss injections, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have developed a notorious reputation for causing excruciating abdominal pain and constipation. However, some side effects are more permanent than others—lingering well after patients stop taking the drugs altogether—the biggest one being loose, saggy skin.
RELATED: Doctors Warn That Drugs Like Ozempic Are Making You “Skinny Fat.”
How skin reacts to rapid weight loss:
You might have read news headlines warning about “Ozempic face,” “Ozempic feet,” “Ozempic mouth,” or even “Ozempic butt.” This group of unofficially named side effects refers to the physical changes—notably, saggy and drapey skin—that occur with massive weight loss.
“When we gain weight, this is done gradually ,which gives our skin the time to expand and stretch to accommodate the extra weight,” explained Jana Abelovska, superintendent pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, in an interview with Healthline.
“Our skin is actually surprisingly elasticated, thanks to its elastin and collagen makeup,” she continued. “But if you lose weight too quickly, your skin will remain at its looser state, rather than instantly returning to its pre-weight gain state, particularly if you have been overweight for several years.”
How much weight you lose and how fast, as well as age, can influence how well your skin bounces back after weight loss. But for older individuals and those who’ve shed more than 50 pounds, saggy skin is more likely.
“The skin has to go somewhere, and it usually goes down because of gravity,” said Holly Lofton, MD, an obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, told the The New York Times.
RELATED: Ozempic and Mounjaro Patients Report Potentially Fatal New Side Effect.
As a result, cosmetic surgeries are increasing.
Unshockingly, this has become a trend in Ozempic patients—so much so that skin-tightening cosmetic surgeries have significantly skyrocketed since the drug gained prominence.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Michele Shermak, MD, told CNN that, at her practice, “we are lifting from head to toe.”
Breast lifts and tummy tucks have increased by 30 percent and 37 percent, respectively, between 2019 and 2022, reports CNN. During that time frame, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy for weight loss. (Ozempic is currently only FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, though many use it off-label to help shed excess weight.)
Additionally, upper arm lift surgeries are up 23 percent. Facelifts, lower body lifts, and butt lifts are also on the rise, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgery, as cited by CNN.
“I thought I knew what weight loss would be like,” Tresnae Ramsey told the Times. She lost 100 pounds in one year while taking tirzepatide, the active ingredient found in Wegovy and Mounjaro.
“Nobody warned me about the loose skin,” she shared.
RELATED: Patients Reveal Another “Nightmare” Ozempic Side Effect.
How to tighten skin without surgery:
While creams, lotions, moisturizers, and serums can help with the appearance of your skin in terms of scarring and wrinkles, they won’t fix the root cause. But that doesn’t mean you need to jump to elective plastic surgery.
“The best way to tighten skin on your own is by building muscle, since it can fill in the gap left behind by fat. While aerobic and resistance training can both be good options for improving skin elasticity, resistance training promotes more muscle growth,” the Times reports.
For those early on in their Ozempic journey, or who are thinking about going on the drug, Shermak implied that slow and steady wins the race.
“People who just drop weight super fast, I think the skin can’t catch up,” said Shermak, who is also a spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgery. “I think losing weight in a more gradual way can minimize problems.”