Celeb surgeons share best tips to treat unflattering Ozempic effects

The use of semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight has exploded in the last couple of years.

Countless people who have struggled with their weight – including major celebrities – have slimmed down thanks to the weight loss medication. 

However, some users are now dealing with unwanted and unflattering physical side effects.

The rapid weight loss as a result of the drugs are causing some users to suffer from ‘Ozempic face’ – which can leave one’s visage looking gaunt, sunken, and haggard. 

Both Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, which is not a targeted drug and as such does not just cause fat loss around the stomach and thighs, but the entire body, including the face.

It works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released by the gut after eating and sends a message to the brain that a person is full.

In addition to ‘Ozempic face,’ the drug has also caused some women to have deflated curves, which have been nicknamed ‘Ozempic butt’ and ‘Ozempic breast.’

Speaking to Dailymail.com, nurse practitioner and IV Drips founder Bracha Banayan said that the sagging many patients are experiencing is caused by a sudden decrease in caloric intake. 

‘When you’re not putting enough protein or calories in your body and you’re losing weight quickly, you’re going to see that,’ she said.

Banayan pointed out that women aged 45 and up may lose the most skin elasticity from sudden weight loss due to their lower estrogen levels, most likely caused by menopause or perimenopause. 

‘You’re going to see more wrinkles with that population,’ she explained. 

‘I think this is the greatest drug in the world, but people don’t know how to use it,’ she warned. ‘This drug is not meant to lose weight very quickly, but if you do that, you’re going to experience the side effects of losing weight very quickly.’

Here, experts spoke to DailyMail.com to share the best tips and treatments to beat the unflattering side effects of Ozempic.

Diet and exercise

When asked what she recommends for combating the aesthetic downsides of Ozempic, Banayan says the key is to eat a high protein diet and to do resistance training, while also taking a more ‘moderate’ approach to semaglutides.

‘It’s worth it in the long run to lose the weight slower so your body adjusts more appropriately,’ she said.

‘Working out is going to help you lose weight in a healthy way, so when you do lose weight [from Ozempic] your body composition will be better.’

When it comes to eating right and dieting, ‘protein is your best friend,’ she said. 

‘I always say stop counting calories and start counting protein. Don’t rely on the drug a hundred per cent – it’s going to help you, but you have to do the steps in between.’

Fillers and collagen supplements 

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kay Durairaj agrees with Banayan that a high protein diet and strength training are key to fighting the side effects of Ozempic, but also recommends that users do their best to increase their collagen production too. 

‘When patients are put on a fast, high dose regimen [of a semaglutide] the weight loss can be extreme,’ she said, noting that facial volume loss can happen rapidly.

‘So being a facial plastic surgeon, we do a preventative program in conjunction with your weight loss management,’ she explained.

‘I also do a collagen building, facial volume building program. I put patients on collagen biostimulators – my favorite one being Sculptra.’

Dr. Kay, who treats a number of top influencers and models, also uses Hyperdilute Radiesse, which is a biostimulatory filler.

‘Both of these products, when you use them slowly, give a burst of collagen production. Usually it takes two to three sessions. It takes 60 days to grow collagen.’

Dr. Kay even puts her own patients on oral collagen supplements, which work hand in hand with her other treatments.  

‘I have a really great collagen powder that I put in my coffee every day, but I also get my patients on that because those are collagen peptides which are the building blocks to make sure that you will grow new collagen,’ she said.

‘So the goal is that you start it, and then during the process of you losing weight you’ve built this nice foundational background. It’s not a filler, it’s collagen, which gives a firming, tightening, lifting effect, and it’s really long term. So truly it’s like foundation building.’ 

When it comes to Ozempic users who are already suffering from the physical effects of the drug, Dr. Kay said that traditional dermal fillers tend to be the best option.

‘Certainly the instant gel fillers like hyaluronic dermal fillers are terrific for improving volume in the face,’ she said.

She also said that microneedling and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections can work, and in some cases she also performs face and neck lifts on patients with severe skin laxity.

Skin tightening and butt lifting 

Devin Haman, founder and CEO The Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, recommends a few different options for new patients coming in with Ozempic side effects.

The first is CellSound, which uses therapeutic sound waves with an electric field to target fat cells, and can be performed on both the face and the body. 

Not only does it get rid of fat, it also tightens the skin to give a more youthful appearance.

CellSound, which costs between $720-$900 a session, has been used to treat loose skin, cellulite, stretch marks, texture, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Brandi Glanville recently had CellSound treatments on her stomach in a bid to get her abs back, while Jon Gosselin turned to CellSound after shedding some pounds on Ozempic. 

CellSound Aesthetics CEO Mark Rodriguez added, ‘CellSound has become huge amongst celebrities because Ozempic has taken Hollywood by storm and people are losing pounds very quickly – but in the process they’re getting loose skin.

‘Cellsound can truly take care of that skin laxity so people look their best. It’s pretty miraculous.’

Haman also recommends the Sculptra butt lift for patients suffering from the dreaded ‘Ozempic butt’.

‘We’re able to treat the buttocks with Sculptra, which helps to tighten and shape the area,’ Haman said, adding that it’s been ‘very effective’.

Despite offering a range of treatments to fix the effects of Ozempic, Haman says it’s best to figure out a treatment plan before the damage has been done.

‘We like to treat the loose skin while our patients are losing weight so that it’s much more manageable and [gives] better results for the patients,’ he said.  

Body contouring and liposuction 

Celebrity surgeon Dr. David Matlock says that Ozempic has now become a ‘trendy’ weight loss solution and warns that it’s not for everybody.

‘It’s even popular among those [that aren’t] clinically obese,’ he told Dailymail.com.

‘It can be addictive, making it hard to stop – similar to some drugs,’ he continued.

‘I’ve seen many cases where people without major weight loss needs use Ozempic and end up with severe side effects. We advise these patients to stop the medication and regain their natural look.’

Because many famous faces in Hollywood are now dealing with the unflattering physical effects of rapid weight loss, Dr. Matlock has seen an increase in patients requesting his ‘Tri-Modality’ skin-tightening treatment. 

‘It tightens skin from the inside out due to the lack of elasticity from these drugs,’ he explained.

The ‘Tri-Modality’ treatment has three stages, beginning with Vaser liposuction, contouring and tightening with Renuvion, and Morpheus8 Body, which merges microneedling with radiofrequency energy.

Dr. Matlock stressed that he likes to take a ‘holistic approach’ before prescribing Ozempic to patients and encourages them to set a ‘realistic weight loss goal’ along with making lifestyle changes too. 

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak, 46, recently underwent Dr. Matlock’s Tri-Modality after rapidly losing ‘a significant amount of weight,’ which she said left her with ‘loose skin on my arms and legs’.

Meanwhile, her fellow Bravo personality Caroline Stanbury, 48, underwent a lower face lift last year, along with fillers in her cheeks, after her sudden weight loss on Ozempic ‘took a toll on her body and face.’

In January, Sharon Osbourne confessed to the Mail Online that she’d lost ‘too much’ weight on the drug. 

One source close to the star said, ‘Nobody close to Sharon wanted her to have the jab but she went on to do so anyway. She looks so gaunt now, so thin and at her age that isn’t going to make her look great.

‘If doesn’t matter what food you put in front of her, she can’t eat much. She totally and utterly regrets it.’