Top plastic surgeons are reporting a surge in patients seeking nip and tucks after losing rapid weight with the Slimming Jab Ozempic, with many patients losing their appearance without these procedures. It warns that it will be damaged or even impaired.
This pioneering injection helps dieters lose one-fifth of their body weight in a year, but rapid fat loss can also lead to a host of physical problems, with middle-aged and older users most affected. receive.
A growing number of Ozempic users on social media are complaining that they are left with gaunt features, sagging skin that looks like a “melted candle,” “empty” breasts and hair loss. These are thought to be the result of dramatic side effects rather than direct side effects of the drug. Slimming.
In some cases, these complications are superficial, but experts who spoke to the Mail on Sunday say they can often have serious health implications. I’m warning you. People who are left with large folds of excess skin have difficulty maintaining basic hygiene and are at risk of fungal infections, sores, and inability to move. They are also at higher risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety due to dissatisfaction, shame and embarrassment with their bodies.
Sharon Osbourne is finding it hard to gain weight back on from her Ozempic trip.Right: Before treatment
Exclusively shared analysis shows that figures for weight loss jabs have spiraled, with the government suggesting that 35,000 Britons are now eligible for treatment on the NHS. With this newspaper the costs of dealing can reach over £100m a year.
These concerns were reflected in British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) chairman Mani Raghbir last night urging health authorities to consider making the procedure to remove excess skin more widely available. Thing.
He says, “Excess skin is not just a nuisance, it can lead to serious, even life-threatening infections.” These steps are meant to help patients complete the process of becoming healthy. It is one of the most important elements for
“When you consider the cost of treating skin infections, wounds that don’t heal, and the misery of not being able to exercise or clean properly, it makes economic sense to treat these patients surgically, even though it’s a one-time cost. However, it is an ongoing burden.”
Until recently, reconstructive surgery after weight loss was only necessary after major surgery, such as gastric bypass, which involves removing part of the stomach. Because of the risks and costs, such options are usually seen as a last resort and are carried out in fewer than 7,000 cases a year in the NHS.
But Mark Soldin, a plastic surgeon at St. George’s and Kingston Hospital in London who specializes in reconstructive surgery after significant weight loss, says that number has skyrocketed in Ozempic’s case.
“Injectable drugs can be as effective as surgery in helping patients lose weight in some cases,” Sordin says. “This is positive because we are reversing type 2 diabetes, stopping high blood pressure and reducing the number of heart attacks and strokes – all issues that cost the NHS billions of dollars each year. ”
A social media user posted the results of a significant weight loss. BAPRAS President Mani Raghbir says, “Excess skin is not just a nuisance; it can lead to serious and even life-threatening infections.”
“But now more and more patients are having physical problems due to excess skin.”
Young skin, which is naturally elastic and supple, can shrink after significant weight loss, but patients in their 30s and older often look “like a deflated balloon or a melted candle,” Sordin says. explains. “He says there are four areas of the body that are most affected: the abdomen, flanks, lower trunk including the buttocks, inner thighs, chest and inner arms.
“Patients can be left with sagging skin folds around their tummies and empty, deflated breasts, which are very difficult to care for. They sweat easily and the area is prone to fungal infections. Infections are especially dangerous for diabetics, who can also develop sores and abscesses, which can cause problems with healing.
“Aside from the potentially serious functional problems, patients who are already mentally fragile due to living with obesity for many years also say they feel extremely self-conscious.
“They don’t like to take their clothes off, even in front of their partner. Some even quit their jobs because their depression and anxiety worsens.”
British actor and TV presenter Stephen Fry also slimmed down as a result of using weight loss injections. But he blamed the drug, saying it made him feel “terribly sick.”
There are various surgical interventions. Collectively known as body contouring, these all involve cutting away excess skin and stitching the area together to create a smooth silhouette. However, it is not commonly provided on the NHS and can cost around £60,000 to provide privately.
Ten years ago, Sordin and colleagues created guidelines for contouring the body after significant weight loss. “We tried our best, but it felt like no one was listening,” he concluded. “The NHS helps people lose weight, but if it makes them look terrible or cause other problems with their bodies, they won’t give you anything.
“And that was back when it was only for patients after weight loss surgery. Now that we have so many Ozempic patients, it’s even less likely that someone on the NHS will be offered a tummy tuck or arm lift. ”
He says it’s not uncommon for people to become dissatisfied with their shriveled bodies and decide to gain the weight back on.
Soldin and his colleagues at BAPRAS say not treating these patients is significant in terms of the economic impact of treating wounds and infections, mental illness and being unable to work due to illness.
Approximately one-third of patients who are left with extra skin folds develop other serious skin conditions, such as infections and ulcers. A recent study found that the cost of treating non-healing wounds (including medication, nursing time and hospital treatment) can be up to £7,886 per patient.
Meanwhile, one in 10 patients is likely to develop depression or anxiety, and one in 20 will be severely affected. Surgeons estimate that the cost of treating severe mental illness is around £5,000 per patient per year.
Australian actress Rebel Wilson admitted Ozempic played a role in her dramatic weight loss in recent years.
More than 35,000 people will be given a weight loss drug made from a diabetes drug called semaglutide, with thousands more paying for the drug privately to help tackle weight loss complications. The total cost could be around £100m a year, BAPRAS said. .
Facial surgeons said they are currently fielding calls from patients who are devastated that their faces look older after Ozempic.
Celebrities have been spotted looking noticeably haggard after using the slimming jab, including former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne. In her recent interview, she admitted that she was not satisfied with her appearance and that she wanted to gain weight again, but she could not do it.
Kushem Yapa, a facelift specialist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: ‘Semaglutide is intended to treat obesity, but we have seen patients who thought it could be easily cured by just losing a little weight. “I’m doing it,” he said.
“Instead, they remain underweight, and at this point the facial fat pads that provide a firmer, more youthful appearance disappear.
“There are sunken areas at the temples and under the eyes, giving an overall sunken or haggard appearance. If the patient is a little older, the skin may be sagging or lax, and there may be wrinkles from the nose to the mouth or around the chin. The neck may be loose.
“The speed at which this happens with Ozempic is shocking. For these patients, the changes may be permanent and the only option may be filler injections or a facelift.”
Yapa also suggested that some patients who use drugs in this way against safety guidelines may be disloyal to their plastic surgeons.
“We always advise patients to stop taking Ozempic four weeks before surgery. It slows down the movement of food through the digestive system and can cause stomachs to become full in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. , there is a very real risk of vomiting and suffocation.”
Yapa added that Ozempic’s weight loss craze is causing more and more young patients to seek surgery. “The weight loss caused by this drug is causing structural changes in the face that accelerate aging. I am currently seeing patients in their 40s and even 30s who are candidates for facelifts.”
Dr Surbhi Virmani says facial changes caused by fat loss in the area can be treated by injecting fillers into the cheeks to restore plumpness.
For those with less serious problems, there are a variety of options, says cosmetics expert Dr. Surbhi Virmani.
“The haggard appearance is not unlike that seen in HIV patients who lost facial fat as a side effect of the drugs they were given in the 80s and 90s,” she says.
“In some cases, surgery is required, but in less severe cases, injections and skin tightening treatments can correct the problem.”
She says a filler called poly-L-lactic acid, injected into the cheeks, is particularly effective at restoring the feeling of fullness.
“It is important that the patient’s weight remains stable for approximately six months before treatment is administered,” she added. “Adding weight to your face from injecting fillers can make it look unnatural.”
One of Dr. Virmani’s patients, Kelly, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently underwent treatment to improve what she calls “Ozempic face.” The 48-year-old sales consultant started taking the drug two years ago and has lost four stone, dropping from a size 16 to a size 10.
She then switched to Wigovy, a similar drug that contains the same semaglutide as Ozempic, but at a higher dose.
“That’s when I realized I was starting to look older,” she says. “Her cheeks became more sunken and her eyes became sunken. I also had a double chin, which disappeared, but I was left with a lot of saggy skin.
“I expected the skin on my stomach to be loose, but I was surprised by the look on my face.
“Dr. Virmani gave me filler injections (a treatment called Profhilo that improves skin texture), Botox and a small amount of lip filler. I’m pretty happy with the results. I’m not thinking about a facelift yet. But I think I’ll think about it when I get older. I want to get my chin in order, and I might consider getting a tummy tuck.”
Kelly said overall she was glad she was prescribed the weight loss jab.
“I’ve always struggled with my weight,” she added. “I was always very busy with work, eating out, and having fun. I was stressed out, which led to me overeating. Thanks to Ozempic, I didn’t have to think about food all the time. How I felt. It makes me feel better, so I plan to continue taking it.
“But people should realize that it changes the way you look, and not necessarily for the better.”
