Celebrity nutritionist Rose Ferguson has revealed more of her clients have been 'freaking out' about developing so-called 'Ozempic face' from weight loss drugs.
The 49-year-old former model, who is close friends with Kate Moss and boasts 116,000 followers on Instagram, says a surge of people have come to her concerned about their face transforming from drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Both medications contain semaglutide, which is not a targeted drug and as such does not just cause fat loss around the stomach and thighs, but the entire body, including the face.
It works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released by the gut after eating and sends a message to the brain that a person is full.
While Ozempic is approved in UK for Type 2 diabetes, it can be prescribed 'off label' as a weight loss drug.
Former model turned nutritionist Rose Ferguson, 49, says a surge of people have come to her concerned about their face transforming from drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy
Dieting drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, which is not a targeted drug and as causes fat loss around the entire body, including the face
Wegovy and Ozempic work by triggering the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals
In recent months, celebrities who have taken dieting medications containing semaglutide or similar have appeared gaunt, with sunken eyes and saggy skin.
Celebrities who have developed 'Ozempic face', either because they have taken such drugs or due to other weight loss methods, include John Goodman,Robbie Williams, Scott Disick and Sharon Osbourne.
Now Ferguson has reported more women coming to her for advice on how to come off such weight loss drugs, fearing the drug could impact their looks.
Speaking to The Times, Ferguson said: 'There was a lot of negativity about Ozempic a few months ago, and so now quite a lot of people are freaking out.
'Ozempic face hasn't gone down very well.'
She added thatshe was concerned for people who are not necessarily overweight and using Ozempic for aesthetics rather than weight loss.
'It's a very complex relationship for many people, and I'm not necessarily sure that Ozempic is helpful in that department.'
Ferguson said most people can lose weight by eating more healthily, including good fats, upping their water intake, smoking and drinking less and taking fewer drugs.
She said that she aims to support people who want to stop taking Ozempic, which can have a side effect of gaining weight again after doses cease.
Explaining further the phenomenon of 'Ozempic face', Dr Smita Ramanadham, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, recently told DailyMail.com: 'Ozempic face is essentially the same characteristics that we see when patients have rapid or regular weight loss.
'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.
'Sometimes, it can have the effect of actually making a person look older — because the fat in our cheeks is what gives us a more youthful look.'
Fans shared their concerns about whether Sharon (pictured in 2020) was 'ill' following her 3st weight loss after taking Ozempic, because her face was visibly less full
John Goodman, 71, is an example of 'Ozempic face', or how the face changes after rapid weight loss, experts said because of the deflated appearance of his cheeks and his sunken eyes. They also pointed to more wrinkles on his face
Robbie Williams revealed he lost 25lbs on Ozempic (left in 2013 and right last year). Surgeons said the more pronounced lines on his face as well as the hollowing out of the cheeks were signs of Ozempic face
Dr Sue Decotiis, a weight loss expert who has prescribed Ozempic to thousands of patients, added that weight loss looks more dramatic on those with longer faces because of the way the skin is stretched.
She cited the example of actor John Goodman, whose face looks drastically less full since losing weight.
Dr Ramanadham said: 'He hasn't been in the news for anything on Ozempic, so I don't know if it's that.
'But even with just weight loss you see more lines, more wrinkles, and more deeflation 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.'
The 71-year-old has lost 200lbs over more than a decade, which he has put down to eating smaller portions, a daily walk with his dogs and at one point cutting sugar and alcohol from his diet.
He has not said that he has he used Ozempic, which is manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
Pointing the the example of singer Robbie Williams,DrRamanadham said: 'You can see a hollowing under the eyes and the cheeks and more wrinkles appearing because of a loss of volume.With Robbie, you can see the direct results of weight loss.'
Ozempic is said to cause a number of other side effects, including digestive issues, fatigue and muscle loss among others.
Cosmetic surgeons said they have also seen increase requests for skin laxity treatments from those who have developed 'Ozempic face'.
Dr Raj Thethi from the Yorkshire Skin Centre, said: 'The Post-Ozempic Makeover is very much a thing,' says Dr Raj Thethi from the Yorkshire Skin Centre, which has seen a surge of requests for skin laxity treatments.
'Patients want solutions for the loss of volume in the front of the face, hollowing around the eyes and jowls, as well as loose skin on the body.'
In London, Esther Fieldgrass, owner of the EF Medispa clinics, said: 'There's been a massive increase in the number of women who have taken Ozempic seeking treatments for loss of facial volume.
'Requests for under eye tear troughfillers in our clinics have increased 70% in the last year alone.'
However, medical experts believe Ozempic may potentially have health benefits beyond weight loss.
Earlier this month, landmark research showed that semaglutide can slash the chances of dying from heart attack and stroke.
The breakthrough, presented at the European Congressof Obesity in Venice, has been hailed as the most significant development in heart disease since statins in the 1990s.
Semaglutide is the first in a new generation of drugs that suppress appetite by mimicking the hormone GLP-1.
It was initially used for diabetes under the brand name Ozempic before being repurposed as the weight loss drug Wegovy.
Experts believe the benefits of the drug extend beyond weight loss, with trials ongoing into illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and kidney disease.
