How Weight Loss Can Alter Your Skin

Some people have critiqued Ozempic (semaglutide)—a diabetes medication that can aid in weight loss—for the effects it has on the skin. Some people have reported “Ozempic face” and “Ozempic butt,” or loose, sagging, or aging skin on the faces and buttocks from rapid weight loss. The skin has less tissue to cover in either case, which can make it sag or seem less plump.

Whether you lose weight through diet, exercise, medications like Ozempic, or a combination of these methods, you may notice changes in your appearance. Ozempic stimulates insulin release from your pancreas when your blood sugar levels are high. It also helps delay gastric emptying, which in turn makes you feel less hungry and lose stored fat. This fat loss can decrease fullness and volume, which makes your skin appear more hollow and loose.

Sagging or wrinkled skin on a person’s face or butt is commonly known as “Ozempic face” or “Ozempic butt.” The often quick weight loss people see when taking weight loss drugs can cause sagging skin. Your skin has the ability to change or return to its shape when it’s stretched, which is known as skin elasticity. Skin elasticity often depends on your age, lifestyle habits, and genetics.

The speed at which you lose weight and the amount lost can also affect skin elasticity. Losing a lot of weight very quickly may make it harder for your skin to resorb the new shape of the tissue underneath it.

Your face and buttocks are not the only places on the body that can have loose skin. Anything that looks fuller when you gain weight—such as your thighs or breasts—can appear more aged or less full post-weight loss. People on semaglutide like Ozempic may lose a lot of fat in these areas, which may, in part, explain “Ozempic face” and “Ozempic butt.” These side effects are not specific to the medications but are the result of quick, major weight loss.

Weight loss in the face often has a similarly sizable impact because of how fat is deposited in the body. “When we automatically start losing the weight, someone says, ‘Oh, I noticed that your face is getting slimmer.’ It’s because you already don’t have a lot of it there to begin with,” Shanina Knighton, PhD, RN, associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing, told Health.

Sagging skin is largely a cosmetic concern, but a prematurely aged appearance may be a source of discomfort or insecurity for some people. Larger amounts of excess skin can also present some health concerns, such as skin irritation, infections, and poor hygiene.

It may not be fully possible to avoid sagging or loose skin, as it’s a natural consequence of losing fat tissue. It still may be possible for some people to minimize these side effects:

• Consider gradual weight loss: Some weight loss plans for medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) last several months. More gradual usage may be enough time for the skin to “accommodate a bit more of those changes,” Andrew Kraftson, MD, director of the weight navigation program at the University of Michigan Health, told Health.
• Keep NEWS in mind: NEWS is an acronym for nutrition, exercise, water, and sleep, all of which are proponents for losing weight in the first place. They may reduce the extent of loose or sagging skin post-weight loss, said Knighton.
• Consult a healthcare provider: Many people assume they can simply get rid of any loose skin after weight loss by exercising, which “rarely if ever, happens,” said Dr. Kraftson. A healthcare provider can recommend treatment if sagging skin persists after weight loss. Plastic surgery may be an option, especially if you want to remove skin on your stomach, arms, or thighs.

The side effects of Ozempic, such as “Ozempic butt” and “Ozempic face,” come from having loose skin. These changes result from rapid weight loss rather than from the Ozempic itself. You can also experience skin changes in other body parts, such as your stomach or thighs.

There are ways to manage loose skin. Try losing weight slowly and staying hydrated. See a healthcare provider if you have concerns about Ozempic side effects or loose skin from weight loss.