Worried about ‘Ozempic face?’ Here’s what to know about your face, aging and this drug

Ozempic® (semaglutide) and Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) are injectable prescription medications that are used to help people with type 2 diabetes better manage blood sugar. Recently, Ozempic and Mounjaro have become popular for their weight-loss benefits as well.

You may have also seen reports online that this medication speeds skin aging, resulting in so-called “Ozempic face.” However, this is not true.

In fact, lowering blood sugar can actually slow aging by preventing an aging process known as glycation. For many years, we have known that people with uncontrolled diabetes age faster because of their high blood sugar levels. Lowering blood sugar helps to prevent aging.

What is “Ozempic face”?

“Ozempic face” is a term that refers to some of the commonly reported side effects of using Ozempic for weight loss, including increased lines and wrinkles, sagging skin and a “hollowed” appearance. But these symptoms do not occur due to increased skin aging caused by Ozempic, rather as a result of fat loss in the face.

Think of losing facial volume as going from a grape to a raisin: With less volume to “fill out” your face, you may be left with wrinkles and drooping skin. This can occur with weight loss from any cause, not just from weight loss from semaglutide or tirzepatide injections.

How to restore facial volume

There are a number of skin treatments that can help to restore lost facial volume. One of the most popular are injectable hyaluronic acid fillers, which can quickly replace any fat loss in the face and smooth away wrinkles and creases. We recommend using dermal fillers once your weight loss has stabilized to ensure the best results.

If you lose over 30 pounds, you may also have skin laxity due to such significant weight loss. In this case, non-surgical skin tightening treatments like Ulthera may be an option.

Bottom line

Many people have success using Ozempic and Mounjaro to rapidly lose weight. While it is a myth that these medications speed up skin aging, you may experience decreased facial volume with fat loss in the face if you lose over 15 pounds. Talk to your dermatologist about the best dermal fillers to treat “Ozempic face” and restore facial volume.

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