Explainer / What is ‘Ozempic face’ and how can you avoid it? Hollywood’s miracle diet ‘pill’ used by Amy Schumer, Sharon Osbourne and Elon Musk results in a sunken face – but fillers can help counteract it
- Celeb dermatologist Dr Paul Jarrod Frank coined the term ‘Ozempic face’ when he observed noticeable changes in the appearance of several patients who had lost weight using Ozempic
- The drug can cause signs of ageing, loss of fat and loose, sagging skin, but pharmaceutical companies are making bank manufacturing fillers to combat this, such as the collagen-boosting treatment Sculptra
Ozempic has taken Hollywood by storm.
Originally made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk as a prescription drug for adult patients with type 2 diabetes, Ozempic is now the latest miracle diet “pill”.
Known generically as semaglutide, Ozempic is a drug that works to treat type 2 diabetic patients by mimicking a hormone in the body that helps the pancreas increase insulin production, effectively lowering high blood sugar levels. It also slows down digestion and induces satiety resulting in suppressed appetites and weight loss.
Uncut Gems star Julia Fox told Entertainment Tonight last year that she would never take the drug as “there are diabetics that need it”.
However, several high-profile celebrities, such as Amy Schumer and Elon Musk, have openly admitted to taking the drug and successfully shedding pounds. Musk even credited his “fit, ripped and healthy” body to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a higher dose of semaglitude.
Unfortunately, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy come with side effects such as nausea and excessive weight loss. British television personality Sharon Osbourne, who used Ozempic for weight loss, told British media last year, “You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous.”
