Why Does My Face Look Older After Losing Weight On Wegovy?

"I've lost weight on Wegovy and I'm happy with my body, but my face looks older.  My cheeks look flatter, my under-eyes look hollow, and my skin feels looser.  What is happening? Can anything help?"

Anon, West Harbour

You are not imagining it, and you are certainly not alone.  The phrase "Ozempic face" gets thrown around online for GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) such as Wegovy, but the medicine itself is not damaging your face. 

Fat pads in the cheeks, temples and around the eyes shrink when you lose weight, so the skin sitting over them has less support, making folds, hollows and laxity more noticeable.  It is the same volume loss we associate with ageing, just arriving faster.  Your face is simply sharing in the weight loss with the rest of you.

It can feel unfair.  You do something good for your health and your face decides to have an identity crisis.  Helpful?  No.  Common?  Increasingly, yes.

The reassuring part is that there are treatments that can help.  Carefully placed filler by a skilled injector can restore structure and volume without adding puffiness.  Skin treatments such as Profhilo®, Radiesse®, Sculptra® and microneedling can also help, depending on whether your main issue is volume loss, laxity, texture, or a mix of all three.

The goal isn't to undo your weight loss.  It is to celebrate your weight loss wins and help your face look supported, rested and like you again.

Quick Answers

Can Wegovy make your face look older?

Weight loss while taking Wegovy can make age-related facial changes more noticeable because facial fat reduces along with fat elsewhere in the body. This can leave the cheeks flatter, the under-eyes more hollow and the skin with less underlying support.

Why does my face look hollow after losing weight?

Fat pads in the cheeks, temples and around the eyes contribute to facial shape and support. When they reduce with weight loss, hollows and folds can become more noticeable.

Does Wegovy cause facial volume loss?

Not directly. The facial volume loss happens because you are losing weight overall and unfortunately your face does not get an exemption. As facial fat reduces, the cheeks, temples and under-eye area can look flatter or more hollow.

Can filler restore facial volume after weight loss?

Dermal filler can restore structure and volume where it has been lost. The aim is careful replacement of support rather than simply adding volume everywhere.

What treatments can help loose facial skin after weight loss?

Treatment depends on whether the main issue is volume loss, skin laxity, texture or a combination. Options may include Profhilo®, Radiesse®, Sculptra®, microneedling or dermal filler.

Can facial volume be restored without looking puffy?

Yes. In skilled hands, treatment can focus on restoring support and facial proportions rather than overfilling the face.

If you have a question for Dr. Heather you would like answered anonymously, please email askdrheather@allor.co.nz.

Written by Dr. Heather Anderson, MBChB, BSc, FRNZCUC, PGDip Cosmetic Medicine, NZSCM | ALLOR Cosmetic Medicine, Auckland

Profhilo® containing low & high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, is a Class III medical device for the treatment of the face and body for contours redefinition and laxity remodelling where skin laxity is a problem. Profhilo® has risks and benefits. Do not use with treatments such a laser resurfacing or medium deep skin-peeling. Caution in people on blood thinning medicines. Do not inject into inflamed areas or intravenously or intramuscularly. Possible side effects: pain and swelling at injection site. Accelagen Pty.  Ltd. Whanganui. 

Sculptra® Medical Device Class III, to increase volume of depressed areas, particularly to correct skin depressions. Sculptra® has risks and benefits. Contains Poly-L-Lactic acid implant suspension.  Ask your doctor if Sculptra® is right for you.  For product information check with your doctor or from product  details with the supplier. Click for further details.  Galderma Australia Sydney. Distributed by Healthcare Logistics, Auckland.

Radiesse® Medical Device Class III. Lidocaine injectable implant is indicated for plastic/reconstructive procedures in adults, including deep dermal and subdermal soft tissue augmentation of the facial area and is also intended for restoration and correction of fat or volume loss (lipoatrophy) in the facial area and for rejuvenation of the hands. Radiesse® has risks and benefits. Contains Calcium Hydroxylapatite. Ask your doctor if Radiesse® is right for you. For product information check with your doctor or Consumer Medicine Information on www.medsafe.govt.nz. Click for further details. Merz, Sydney. Distributed by Healthcare Logistics, Auckland.

Belotero® Medical Device Class III to smooth facial wrinkles and folds, correct facial atrophic scars, restore or enhance the lips or restore facial volume. Belotero has risk and benefits. Ask your doctor if Belotero is right for you. For product information check with your doctor or from productdetails with the supplier.  Click for further details. Contains Sodium Hyaluronate Gel. Merz, Sydney. Distributed by Healthcare Logistics, Auckland.

​Restylane®, Medical Device Class III to smooth facial wrinkles and enhance lips by restoring volume and fullness. Restylane® has risks and benefits. Ask your doctor if Restylane is right for you. For product information check with your doctor or from product details with the supplier.  Click for further details. Stabilised Hyaluronic Acid 20mg/Ml. Galderma, Australia, Sydney or distributor Healthcare Logistics, Auckland.