Your Body Changed. Why Did Your Face Age? A Doctor on ‘Ozempic Face’

Weight-loss injections have changed life for a lot of people. But some notice something they didn't expect: their body looks better, while their face looks hollow, tired or older. It even has a nickname, ‘Ozempic face’. Here's what's actually happening, who is most likely to notice it, and what can help.

What is ‘Ozempic face’?

‘Ozempic face’ is an informal term, not a medical diagnosis. It describes facial changes after significant weight loss: hollow cheeks and temples, deeper folds from the nose to the mouth, looser skin along the jaw, and a more drawn look around the eyes.

It isn't a toxic effect of one medicine. The same changes can happen after any rapid or substantial weight loss, including after bariatric surgery or dieting. GLP-1 weight-loss medicines have simply made that kind of weight loss far more common (Humphrey and Lawrence, 2023; Montecinos et al., 2024).

Why the face changes

Your face has fat pads that give it shape and hold the skin up from underneath. When you lose weight quickly, these pads lose volume too. If the skin can't contract fast enough to match, it loses its support. That's what creates the hollowing, the folds and the looser skin.

Who is more likely to notice it

• People who lose a large amount of weight, or lose it quickly.

• People over 40, whose skin has less collagen and elasticity to bounce back.

• People with significant sun damage or naturally thin skin.

Before you do anything

Never stop or change a prescribed medicine for cosmetic reasons without speaking to your prescriber. The health benefits of reaching a healthy weight matter far more than a change in your face. If you're still losing weight, it's usually best to wait until your weight is stable before treatment, so results don't shift.

What can help

The goal isn't to fill the face back to how it was. It's to restore support and skin quality so you look like yourself, just healthier. At Hedonia I usually start with regenerative treatments that help your skin rebuild, then add targeted volume only where it's genuinely needed.

• Sculptra is a collagen stimulator made of poly-L-lactic acid. It works gradually over months. It was first widely used to restore facial volume in people with HIV-related fat loss, a condition that also causes hollowing of the face (Valantin et al., 2003).

• Polynucleotides improve skin quality, and are especially useful for thin or crepey skin under the eyes.

• Skin boosters improve hydration and the way skin reflects light.

• Dermal fillers can restore structure in specific areas, such as the cheeks or temples, used carefully and in small amounts.

• Good skincare and daily SPF protect the collagen you have.

Every face loses volume differently, so the plan is always based on an assessment rather than a set package.

Book a consultation

Frequently asked questions

Is ‘Ozempic face’ permanent?

The fat lost from the face does not come back on its own unless weight is regained, and skin may not fully tighten. Treatment can restore support and improve skin quality.

Should I wait until I've stopped losing weight before treatment?

Usually, yes. If your face is still changing, results can shift. Treating once your weight is stable gives a more predictable result. We can still talk earlier to plan.

Can I have aesthetic treatment while taking weight-loss injections?

Often, yes. Tell me about every medicine you take at consultation so I can plan safely. Never stop a prescribed medicine for cosmetic reasons without speaking to your prescriber.

Does this only happen with Ozempic?

No. The same facial changes can happen with any significant, rapid weight loss, including with other GLP-1 medicines, bariatric surgery or diet alone.

Will dermal filler fix it?

Sometimes filler is the right tool for specific areas. Often the better starting point is treatment that improves skin quality and support, with filler used carefully and sparingly if needed.

References

Humphrey CD, Lawrence AC. Implications of Ozempic and other semaglutide medications for facial plastic surgeons. Facial Plast Surg. 2023;39(6):719-21.

Montecinos K, Kania B, Goldberg DJ. Semaglutide ‘Ozempic’ face and implications in cosmetic dermatology. Dermatol Rev. 2024;5:e70003.

The rise of ‘Ozempic face’: analyzing trends and treatment challenges associated with rapid facial weight loss induced by GLP-1 agonists. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2024;96:225-7. PMID: 39098289.

Valantin MA, Aubron-Olivier C, Ghosn J, et al. Polylactic acid implants (New-Fill) to correct facial lipoatrophy in HIV-infected patients: results of the open-label study VEGA. AIDS. 2003;17(17):2471-7.

Written by Dr Adama Luca, BSc, BMBS (University of Southampton), MS Aesthetics (UCL), founder of Hedonia Medical Aesthetics, Salisbury. This article is general information, not personal medical advice.