Maximize your results and fully step into the “new you” post GLP-1
Ozempic. Zepbound. Wegovy. You’ve seen the commercials and can probably sing the jingles. Once a drug designed for type-2 diabetics, with weight loss listed as a positive side effect and not the main goal of the treatment, GLP-1 agonist medications have exploded into a widely-accepted miracle weight loss injection. Zepboud (tirzepatide) will soon be available in pill form, eliminating the boundary for those squeamish of needles.
If you’ve achieved significant weight loss using one of these or similar medications, you may be impressed with the number on the scale, but less than impressed with what you see in the mirror. Let’s examine these possible changes and how we can help maximize your results post GLP-1.
“Ozempic Face”
We’ve all seen the gaunt celebrity faces on our feeds, deemed “Ozempic Face.” Losing a significant amount of weight quickly will result in the loss of volume in your face, causing the appearance of sunken eyes and cheeks, thinner lips, and sagging skin around the eyes, mouth, and neck.
How can we fix that?
- Radiesse: A filler that adds volume to cheeks, chin, and even the backs of hands
- Belotero Balance: A filler that reduces fine lines and wrinkles and adds fullness to the face
- Facial Fat Grafting: Uses your body’s own fat to add fullness to shrunken areas, cheeks, and lips
- Microneedling: A non-surgical procedure in our med-spa that increases collagen in the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles
- SAFE Lift: A minimally invasive “minilift” of the neck and jawline that can be performed in the doctor’s office under local anesthesia to tighten the skin of the neck and cheeks
Breast Changes
Many women first notice weight loss in their breasts. Significant, rapid weight loss will likely result in a dramatic reduction in breast volume that then results in the appearance of flattened, sagging, or deflated breasts.
How can we fix that?
A breast lift, which elevates and tightens skin while repositioning the nipple, is combined with a breast augmentation to restore volume.
Residual “Fatty Pockets”
We can’t spot reduce, and so with any weight loss, persistent, unwanted fat collections may remain. After losing 25-50 lbs, many patients will still have residual fatty collections on their abdomen, hips, thighs or arms that won’t respond even to further weight loss.
How can we fix that?
“Spot reduction” can be done non-invasively or with surgical methods. Non-invasive, localized fat reduction can be done with Trusculpt ID, which uses microwave energy to melt the fat under the skin. The procedure is completely non-invasive, comfortable, and there is no downtime. Several treatments are needed over a 12-week period for the best results.
Instant results can be obtained with liposuction, either with tumescent (local) anesthesia for smaller spots or under general anesthesia for larger volumes. Laser liposuction (“Smart Lipo” or “Precision Lipo”) uses laser energy to both melt the fat and to tighten the skin, and can yield superior results.
Sagging Skin
Massive weight loss often leaves sagging skin in its wake. Aside from being cosmetically undesirable, the hanging, folded skin can also cause health problems like skin rashes, tissue breakdown, and infection.
How can we fix that?
A panniculectomy, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and belt lipectomy are all effective yet distinct treatments to remove excess skin near the abdomen. A brachioplasty (arm lift) will remove fat and tighten the skin, often deemed “batwings,” of the upper arms. A Thighplasty (thigh lift) does the same for the legs.
Key Takeaway
Your body is unique, and the way it responds to the effects of significant weight loss will be too. Once you’ve hit your weight loss goal, whether using GLP-1s or not, schedule a consultation with Dr. Robert Carpenter to discuss the best surgical body contouring and non-surgical options for you to fully step into the “new you.”