As weight drops fast, cosmetic clinics see surge in ‘Ozempic face’ fixes

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Lose weight quickly, and it often shows up on the face first. As fat disappears, the skin can sag, accentuating signs of ageing.

Weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy are known to cause such an impact, and their rising popularity is now driving demand in India’s aesthetics market for fixing these effects.Cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists Mint spoke with say they are seeing a growing influx of first-time patients seeking procedures such as fillers, skin tightening and minimally invasive cosmetic surgeries, to reverse the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which suppress appetite.“I would say 20-25% of patients coming in are on GLP-1s as of now,” said Gurgaon-based plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr Anmol Chugh. “This is significant because these are all new patients, people who haven’t heard of aesthetics, but are worried about the fact that their face is dull and skin is loose.”While side effects don’t manifest the same on everyone, about three to four out of 10 patients on GLP-1s have grappled with the sunken, hollow look being associated with the drugs, according to Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist Dr Satish Bhatia.

Especially, people aged 30-45 years—particularly in urban centres—are among the most common cohorts showing up at clinics, doctors say.Experts caution that the use of these drugs needs to be closely monitored by specialists, including endocrinologists, gynaecologists, cardiologists and dermatologists, highlighting an increase in off-label or unauthorised use already.Such monitoring can help reduce the side effects on the face. “You don’t know if they are getting the right dosage, or the right drug,” said Dr Bhatia.At the same time, the rise in demand is