While it’s been doing the rounds in Hollywood for a number of years, Ozempic has quickly become synonymous with stars rapidly losing weight.
The likes of James Corden, Amy Schumer and Sharon Osbourne have all spoken out about using the Type-2 diabetes drug. And while it’s not currently specifically approved in the UK for weight loss, Brits are able to use alternatives, such as Mounjaro.
Unlike Ozempic, these injections are currently available here and works by helping to reduce appetite with one bloke sharing the astounding impact he experienced after three months.
However, it’s still Ozempic that is most commonly known and referred to. Essentially a brand name for a jab containing a compound calling semaglutide, there are some unusual side effects linked to the medication that can cause physical body changes and impact your health.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a medicine that’s actually designed to treat people with Type-2 diabetes and that’s what it’s available for on prescription in the UK. It’s just one of a number of drugs called GLP-1 agonists.
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But the same active ingredient, semaglutide, that helps to regulate blood sugar levels for diabetics has proven beneficial for those trying to lose weight.
It can help to regulate people’s appetite, keep them feeling fuller for longer and also reduce cravings. So, combine that with healthy eating and regular exercise and weight loss can be noticeably efficient.
Physical body changes
Not only does Ozempic cause a person’s appearance to change in shedding weight, but it’s also found to have side effects like 'Ozempic face'.
That term has been coined for where a person’s face seems to lose volume and sag, potentially giving an ageing effect.
Dr Carolina Goncalves, from Pharmica, previously told LADbible about 'Ozempic face', in which she said it’s ‘a very rare side effect’ which can happen when some of the body fat lost is fat from the face.
Harvard Medical School experts reported that a rapid loss of fat in the face can cause a hollowed look to the face; changes in the size of the lips, cheeks, and chin; wrinkles on the face; sunken eyes; and sagging jowls around the jaw and neck.
As well as the likes of ‘Ozempic neck’, there’s ‘Ozempic mouth’ which Dr Ed Robinson told The Sun is a way of describing the ‘hollowing and skin laxity that can occur around the mouth as fat is lost from the lower face’.
"This can lead to deeper nasolabial folds (laughter lines), more prominent marionette lines (the vertical wrinkles that extend from the corners of the mouth down towards the chin), and downturned corners of the mouth,” he explained. "It often creates a tired or prematurely aged appearance."
And down at the other end, there’s even 'Ozempic feet'.
This refers to the sagging, wrinkled look to feet due to a dramatic reduction in body fat – the same pretty much goes for 'Ozempic butt'. Like with Ozempic face, the delicate skin around the top of the foot can then end up ageing in appearance.
General side effects of Ozempic
The most common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and constipation.
That feeling of sickness was something Amy Schumer spoke about as she said it left her ‘bedridden’.
“I was like, vomiting — and then you have no energy. But other people take it and they’re all good,” she previously explained.
While it is less common, people may also have severe allergic reactions to Ozempic and it may also cause low blood sugar.
Please speak to a health care professional before trying medications for weight loss.
Jess Battison