GLP-1 patients flocking to plastic surgeons to help with ‘Ozempic face’

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -The incredible number of people dropping weight rapidly with injections is having a positive effect on their overall health. But it’s also calling for post-GLP-1 surgeries.

When patients using GLP-1 injections lose weight rapidly, they might be healthier and feel better, but many of them look older and are left with lots of excess skin and the so-called ‘Ozempic face.’

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Ozempic face” isn’t a side effect of the medication itself. Rather, it’s a side effect of the rapid weight loss the medication can bring.

Lois Semmens recently lost a significant amount of weight thanks to Ozempic and new healthy habits.

But while she had more energy and felt better, she had loose, sagging skin, and the evidence of her past life was written all over her face.

“I looked in the mirror and I was like, wow, no makeup and no lighting is going to help this,” she said.

“When these people take these medications, it changes their body,” said Dr. Michael Wojtanowski of The Ohio Clinic for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery.

He says he’s seen a significant uptick in post-weight-loss patients. It currently makes up about 20 percent of their practice.

“One of the unknowns is that there seems to be an effect on the elasticity of the skin from the drug. And we don’t really quite know why. The second thing is the rapidity of the weight loss is like letting the air out of a balloon,” said Dr. Wojtanowski.

Lois had her upper and lower lids done, a face and a breast lift.

Other GLP-1 patients, like Julie Lee, a nurse who also lost a significant amount of weight, wanted her body to look as healthy as she felt.

“I’m excited to not stand in front of the mirror, pinching my skin, pulling it up. All of the hard work underneath the loose skin shining through,” said Lee.

Dr. Wojtanowski says these procedures are not really medically necessary, but he believes psychologically they are.

He says post-op patients are highly motivated to keep the weight off.

“If they don’t maintain the weight loss, they can undo some of the gain that has been achieved by the procedures. They can be repeated, but you don’t want to repeating things you don’t need to,” said Dr. Wojtanowski.

For Lee, it was about empowerment, not vanity.

“If you feel your best, that’s going to flow into every area of your life. I feel like confidence is freedom. This will allow me to be the best version of myself,” she said.

Dr. Paul Vanek of Mentor Plastic Surgery performed her surgery, Renuvion, a minimally invasive alternative to procedures like tummy tucks, to shrink and tighten loose skin

“Our expectations are that in a couple weeks she’ll have tightening she can’t see with any other energy,” he said.

So, when’s the best time to go through with these post-weight-loss surgeries? Dr. Wojtanowski says patients should wait six months to a year after their weight has stabilized before going through with any of these procedures.

Semmens says she feels, and now looks, ten years younger. And she plans to keep it that way.

“It was just a complete transformation,” she said.