I recently went to the British Beauty Council’s annual conference and one of the most fascinating conversations was about what GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, do to our faces.
Even if, like me, you haven’t tried them, I’m sure you know someone who has. These medications can be absolutely life changing and in my book, health will win over aesthetics every day of the week…
What Is Ozempic Face?
But over the past year, as these medications have skyrocketed, I’ve naturally received more and more messages asking how to prevent the facial ‘sagging’ that can sometimes come with significant weight loss.
You see, our faces have little pockets of fat, called fat pads, that give our faces that youthful fullness. But when we lose weight, these pads can shrink.
That’s why cheeks may look flatter, under eyes can become more hollow and the little lines around the mouth may appear more noticeable. Essentially, it’s all the changes we associate with natural ageing, just occurring over a shorter space of time. And that’s where the term ‘Ozempic face’ came from.
Is Ozempic Face Real?
So scientists have been researching how and why this is happening. And so far, in a small study of 20 people taking GLP-1 medications, they found around 7% less midface volume for every 10kg of weight lost.
Of course, losing facial fat isn’t unique to these medications. But what they’re now trying to work out is whether GLP-1s might cause MORE facial fat loss than we’d normally expect from losing weight without them.
The other prediction from the conference was that we’re about to see LOTS more ‘firming’ and ‘lifting’ creams hitting the shelves, to counteract these concerns.
Can Creams Replace Lost Facial Fat?
And while I’m all for good skincare, it’s important to know what it can and can’t do. Because unfortunately, no cream, or injectable for that matter, can replace lost facial fat or regrow those original fat pads either.
How Can Skincare Help With Ozempic Face?
What skincare CAN do, however, is support plumpness, texture and firmness with ingredients like retinol, peptides and vitamin C. All things we already use by the bucket load in The 5 Minute Kit. So if you’re currently making lifestyle changes of your own, please know we have you covered 🥰
All you need to do is focus on what matters most, which is a happy, healthy body. And I’ll keep an eye on the skincare data behind the scenes, so I can support you wherever possible ♥️
