Plastic surgeons warn of 'Ozempic face' crisis sweeping Hollywood

There’s a new trend sweeping Hollywood which showcases the downsides to weight loss treatments.

A side effect of a popular injectable, intended for Type 2 diabetes sufferers, is leaving celebrities with what is being branded “Ozempic Face”.

Saggy skin, gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes are now common features among takers of the drug semaglutide, which is more commonly known by the brand name Ozempic.

“Ozempic face is essentially the same characteristics that we see when patients have rapid or regular weight loss,” Dr Smita Ramanadham, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, told the Daily Mail.

“We see a loss of volume in the face, and when we lose fat in the face we see signs like the cheeks are more sunken in, more sagging skin and a general hollowing out of the features.”

Semaglutide helps ensure that the pancreas releases sufficient insulin when blood glucose levels are high, hence why it is prescribed for diabetics.

It also helps people feel fuller and delays gastric emptying, meaning they can consume fewer calories, as Medical News Today notes.

Inevitably, the medication’s remarkable fat-busting capacity made it an instant craze among the LA elite, leading to speculation over who has succumbed to its allures.

As a result, a panel of surgeons recently examined photos of 15 stars who have lost a significant amount of weight over the past few months.

They concluded that at least half may now be suffering from “Ozempic face”.

John Goodman in 2023 (left) and in 2001 (right)Getty Images

Looking at actor John Goodman, 71, who has shed nearly 200 pounds (90.7kg) since 2007, Ramanadham told the Daily Mail: “You see more lines, more wrinkles and more deflation in his face as he loses weight compared to when he was heavier and his face was fuller.

“These changes are just very typical of overall weight loss regardless of whether weight loss drugs were used.”

It is worth stressing that Goodman has denied taking Ozempic, instead crediting dieting, exercise and renouncing booze for his transformation.

Robbie Williams, Sharone Osborne, Jessica Simpson and Scott Disick were also on the list, with the experts citing Osborne as the most “dramatic” example of the emaciated face condition.

“Her eyes look more sunken in, her cheeks have more hollowing,” Ramanadham pointed out.

“There is a significant loss in facial volume as well, and more wrinkling that is associated with it.”

From left: Jessica Simpson; Sharon Osborne and Scott Disick have all experienced massive weight loss(jessicasimpson/Instagram/Getty Images/letthelordbewithyou/Instagram)

Ozempic face is just one of numerous side effects associated with the drug, of which 9 million prescriptions were written in the last three months of 2022, according to the Daily Mail.

Other potential complications include nausea, constipation, fatigue, and abdominal pain, and in some rate cases, people have reported suffering vision problems, gallbladder disease and an increased risk of thyroid cancer.

All of this is proof of one thing: there is no such thing as a “magic drug” and all weight loss should be conducted in a measured and careful way.

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