'Ozempic face' is driving cosmetic surgery demand, surgeons say

Facial hollowing and sagging after rapid weight loss on GLP-1 drugs — commonly called "Ozempic face" — is helping drive demand for cosmetic procedures, according to a CNN report published July 30 ^[1].

New York cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, who says he coined the term, told CNN he noticed a "dramatic spike" in patients with facial volume loss beginning about two years ago. "Although they felt much better losing weight, in some ways they felt they looked older," he said, attributing it to "the loss of volume in their face" ^[1]. Frank said people in their mid-40s and older can develop "this kind of deflated look" after losing 10 or more pounds, and that people losing 20 or 30 or more pounds are likely to see it. More than 20% of his patients now use GLP-1s as part of what he calls a "longevity regimen," and patients who once used one syringe of filler are now using two or three, he said ^[1].

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that 2 in 5 of its members' GLP-1 patients were considering cosmetic surgery, and 1 in 5 already had ^[1]. ASPS data also show facelifts rose 8% between 2022 and 2023, and hyaluronic acid filler use doubled from 2.6 million Americans in 2017 — the year Ozempic was first cleared for diabetes — to more than 5.2 million in 2023 ^[1]. The organization could not attribute those increases only to GLP-1 use. Its former president, Dr. Steven Williams, said the medications have had "a global effect on aesthetic surgery" ^[1]. Ozempic is approved to treat type 2 diabetes and is commonly prescribed off-label for weight management ^[1].

Kimberly Bongiorno, 55, a local government land use administrator from Mount Arlington, New Jersey, said Wegovy took her from 170 pounds to 125. She described her face as "very loose" and said, "It looked like I had melted." After consulting plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Berlet, she had a deep plane facelift and a neck lift, and she estimates she will have spent about $80,000 on cosmetic procedures once she completes a breast lift, fat grafting and lower eyelid surgery ^[1]. Gabriela Vasquez, 29, who works at one of Williams's clinics, has lost about 50 pounds since starting Ozempic in November and has had preventive Botox and microneedling ^[1]. ASPS data show patients 20 to 39 accounted for 14% of hyaluronic acid filler use and 2% of facelifts ^[1].

An American Society of Plastic Surgeons article published June 24 explains the mechanics: fat pads in the cheeks and temples shrink faster than skin can retract, leaving a deflated or loose look ^[2]. Dr. Michelle Lee said younger patients generally have more elastic skin, while older patients or those who produce less collagen are more likely to sag. She said research on how GLP-1 drugs affect collagen and elastin is still needed, and reports that skin loses elasticity are anecdotal ^[2]. Treatments listed include collagen-stimulating procedures such as microneedling and biostimulatory injectables like Sculptra, dermal fillers or fat transfer for volume loss, and, in more severe cases, a facelift with fat grafting and laser resurfacing, plus eyelid, neck and lip lifts ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

About 1 in 8 US adults has used a GLP-1 drug, and roughly 2 in 5 of those users took one solely to lose weight, according to the health policy nonprofit KFF in 2024 ^[1]. That is a large pool of people who could notice facial changes. The surgeons quoted say the effect is not inevitable: it depends on age, skin elasticity and how fast the weight comes off, and Lee said gradual loss — ideally one to two pounds a week — along with hydration and a protein-rich diet supports skin health ^[1][2]. The procedures described address appearance, not the health effects of the medication, and whether insurance covers any of them has not been reported. Frank also described "Ozempic body," noting that muscle loss is another effect of rapid weight loss, especially faster than one to two pounds a week. ASPS points to an emerging term, "Ozempic makeover," covering tummy tucks, breast lifts and arm, thigh and buttock lifts ^[1].

What is not yet known

The long-term effect of GLP-1 medications on cosmetic medicine is not fully understood ^[1]. The expectation that the drugs would reduce demand for liposuction has not played out: it remains the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in the US and grew 1% last year, per ASPS data ^[1]. What effect weight regain after stopping the drugs — sometimes called "Ozempic rebound" — will have on people who had procedures also remains to be seen ^[1]. A recent peer-reviewed study found most people using the drugs for weight loss quit within a year, and data presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity suggested patients typically returned to their original weight within 10 months of stopping. University of Oxford researchers called that a "cautionary note" about using medication "without a more comprehensive approach" to weight loss ^[1].