Ozempic has been praised by doctors and patients alike for its waist-slimming benefits. However, one side effect that’s been garnering negative attention in recent months is something called "Ozempic face." The colloquial term is used to describe facial changes such as saggy/drapey skin or a gaunt appearance that happen with sudden, massive weight loss. The physical changes can be jarring, but they're not uncommon. In fact, sometimes it’s even expected…and it can happen to other areas of the body, too.
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Why is everyone talking about "Ozempic feet?"
"When we gain weight, this is done gradually which gives our skin the time to expand and stretch to accommodate the extra weight," Jana Abelovska, superintendent pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, explained 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."
As more and more patient stories have come out, the Ozempic face phenomenon has evolved to include Ozempic butt, and now, Ozempic feet.
The latest comes after an "awful" photo of Sharon Osbourne and her feet went viral on Instagram. In the snap, Osbourne can be seen snuggled up on the couch with her dog and young grandson. But almost immediately, comments came pouring in with concerns about the star’s naked feet.
"The hands and feet don’t match," someone wrote.
"Beautiful picture! But I would’ve worn socks," reads a comment.
A third person said parts of the picture are clearly "airbrushed," with someone else adding, "Someone forgot to Photoshop the feet!"
"Her face is Photoshop look at her foot looks over 100 years old," added another.
Elsewhere in the comments section, an Instagrammer accused Osbourne of looking "almost mannequin like," noting that "the filter is STRONG on the face" but "the feet don’t match."
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How does Ozepmic feet happen?
Speaking to Bored Panda, C. Michael White, PharmD, said that weight loss can alter "both the width and the length of your foot." In some cases, that can make "the skin on the foot more floppy and wrinkly." With major transformations, people can even go down a full shoe size, or go from being a wide foot to a regular/narrow foot.
Overall, this is generally a net positive. "The body changes are generally great for people’s feet because it puts a lot less weight on them when you walk or run (like the knees and hips as well)," explained White, who serves as the head of the University of Connecticut's Department of Pharmacy Practice.
However, Barry Weintraub, MD, a New York-based board-certified plastic surgeon, told DailyMail.com that sagging skin on the feet could also be due to the decreased water retention that typically comes with weight loss.
"'Without having had the opportunity to examine Sharon in person, the veiny and sagging skin [on] the top and sides of the foot might be a result of the new lack of water retention due to a decreased BMI cause by Ozempic or other such weight-loss drug," he said.
Not only can rapid weight loss impact the appearance of your feet, but it can also affect how you walk.
"Losing weight can actually change how your foot hits the ground. It may take a little time for people to adjust how they are walking and standing as a result, or they might need changes in the type of shoe inserts they need,” White explained.
That said, White doesn’t put the blame on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. He stressed that "floppy and wrinkly" skin can be the caveat of major weight-loss transformations, whether or not weight-loss drugs were involved.
"The terms 'Ozempic Face' and 'Ozempic Neck' seem to be cosmetic manifestations of the rapid loss of fat and muscle and not an innate effect of the semaglutide and terzepatide ingredients," he said.
