What Doctors Are Seeing (And It’s Not Good)
Dr. Michele Green says she sees this daily in her New York practice and it’s not just one or two cases, this is becoming her new normal. Patients lose volume in their faces, which creates wrinkles, sagging skin, and droopy areas around their mouths. Deep lines carve into the corners of their mouths while wrinkles mark their lips and loose skin gathers around the chin area, creating hanging skin that wasn’t there before. These changes turn bright smiles into aged looks that can make someone appear decades older.
Here’s the Real Reason “Ozempic Mouth” Happens
Semaglutide strips away fat from under your skin. When rapid weight loss removes this crucial layer, your skin loses its foundation and begins to collapse inward. Dr. Barry Weintraub, a plastic surgeon in New York, explains that losing this fat makes skin appear thinner and more fragile. This creates those unwanted lines around the mouth that people call “lipstick lines.” Your face essentially deflates, leaving behind loose, wrinkled skin that ages your appearance.
Famous People Show Signs of This Problem
You can look at celebrities like Sharon Osbourne, Rebel Wilson, and Whoopi Goldberg, who’ve spoken publicly about their use of the medication. These celebrities now show clear signs of these facial changes, and the difference is quite noticeable. The issue affects men just as much. Actor Harvey Fierstein credits Zepbound, another weight loss medication similar to Ozempic, with helping him lose 120 pounds, but his dramatic weight loss also brought loose skin and droopy areas that completely changed his face.
Mouth and Other Body Parts Change with Ozempic
These mouth changes belong to a growing family of body changes that users experience. This problem forms one piece of the larger “Ozempic face” phenomenon, where rapid weight loss creates sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, and gaunt facial appearances. Users also develop excessively wrinkled and aged-looking feet, while others report bottom deflation and disappearance, making them feel every bone when they sit down. These connected side effects show that the medication reshapes your entire body, not merely your weight.
Millions of People Could Face These Changes
One in eight Americans has tried these injections, though the actual number is likely higher since many people don’t report using them due to stigma or use compounded versions that aren’t tracked in official statistics. While these injections were originally developed for diabetes treatment, they are now widely prescribed for weight loss, especially among celebrities and public figures. This widespread use explains why cosmetic problems are showing up more often on social media and at celebrity events. With millions of Americans now using these treatments, facial changes could become an increasingly common side effect.
Fixing Your Mouth After Ozempic Comes With a Hefty Price Tag
Dr. Green says many more patients are requesting dermal fillers to repair their mouth areas after using the weight loss medication. These gel-like treatments work by injecting volume under the skin to replace lost fat and smooth out wrinkles from rapid fat loss. The treatment can restore facial fullness, eliminate lines and wrinkles, and make skin look younger again. But this fix carries a hefty price tag. Each syringe costs $700 to $2,000, depending on where you live and which doctor you see. Most people need several syringes in each treatment to achieve acceptable results.
High-Tech Treatment Offers Different Solution
Thermage provides people with another way to combat facial changes. This advanced procedure uses radio waves to create heat under your skin, which helps your body make new collagen and tighten loose areas. The process works by triggering your body’s healing response, encouraging new collagen growth that slowly firms and lifts sagging skin. People must wait four to six months to see full results, but the improvements can last about eighteen months. This 30-minute session costs between $1,500 and $3,500, making it expensive for most people.
Simple Steps Can Prevent Face Problems
Medical experts say people can take steps to avoid developing Ozempic mouth. Dr. Green advises patients to discuss with their doctors about adjusting their dosage to lose weight slowly instead of quickly. Slower weight loss gives your skin time to adapt and contract naturally as fat is lost. Dr. Ramer Bass from Mount Sinai suggests eating small, healthy meals that focus on fiber and protein to help keep skin hydrated and elastic. She also encourages patients to see a dermatologist before problems start, not after damage occurs
Beauty Industry Makes Money from New Demand
Dermal filler treatments have nearly tripled in America over the past ten years, jumping from 1.8 million treatments in 2010 to 5.3 million in 2023. This dramatic growth aligns perfectly with these weight loss injections’ rising popularity. As more people start using weight loss prescriptions, the connection between these medications and cosmetic treatments becomes clear. Beauty clinics are now adapting their services to help patients seeking solutions for prescription-related facial changes.
Here’s What People Don’t Calculate
The real cost goes way beyond monthly bills. Cosmetic treatments to fix these problems can easily cost thousands of dollars every year, creating ongoing expenses that many users never expected. Ozempic users often need multiple treatment visits to fix their mouth problems and require regular maintenance appointments. Some patients need to combine different procedures to get the best results. Smart consumers should budget for these extra costs before starting weight loss prescriptions, understanding that major physical changes often require equally large financial investments to maintain appearance.
