From sunken eyes to bulldog features: the scary things Ozempic does to your face

SINCE diabetes drugs burst onto the scene in 2022 as a means to lose weight, more and more Brits are turning to the needle to lose weight.

Celebrities were the pioneers of the movement. Sharon Osbourne lost 42 pounds with Ozempic, Kelly Clarkson used lean shots to slim down and even Boris Johnson gave them the chance to lose five pounds a week.

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Lottie Moss was rushed to hospital after suffering a skinny-shot induced seizure, and the Kardashian-Jenner clan can’t shake rumors that their famously big bums had shrunk this way.

Anti-obesity and diabetes drugs, which are delivered via regular injections, have quickly grown from niche drugs prescribed by doctors to weight loss cheat codes that you can pick up online for as little as £72 a month.

Versions of the drug include the infamous Ozempic, as well as Wegovy and Mounjaro.

They contain semaglutide, an ingredient that promotes weight loss by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone released in the intestines after eating that makes you feel full and satisfied.

But skinny pricks come at a price; they can cost you your face.

The unwanted aesthetic effects of weight loss injections have even earned their own name “Ozempic face”.

This phenomenon is characterized by sagging skin (which has been likened to a bulldog’s chops), hollow eyes, a distorted pout, and more.

We don’t know the long-term health or physical effects of lean lampreys because they haven’t been in circulation long enough.

Fabulous spoke to plastic surgeon Naveen Cavale from Real plastic surgery about all the dangerous things that skinny guys like Ozempic do to faces – and the celebrities who fall victim to them.

“Ozempic-induced weight loss can reduce facial fat,” explains Naveen.

“This can result in a thinner or less voluminous appearance, often described as ‘Ozempic face’.”

Fish lips

Put aside ‘trout pout’, the new unwanted kisser is ‘fish lips’ caused by skinny pricks.

“Some people may notice that their lips look less plump due to the fat loss,” says Naveen.

“However, significant facial fat loss can make those who have pre-existing lip fillers appear more prominent as the surrounding soft tissue diminishes.

“This exaggerated look, which has been dubbed ‘fish lips’ on social media, is not due to the medication itself, but rather the interaction between weight loss and filler placement.”

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Noughties singer Jessica Simpson is one celebrity who fans say has fallen victim to the ‘fishlips’ phenomenon.

While the 44-year-old (who lost 100 pounds between 2019 and 2020) denied using Ozempic in an interview with Bustle in 2023, rumors about her weight loss methods continue to swirl on social media in 2024.

And she’s slimmed down everywhere but her lips, leaving many fans asking under her Instagram posts, “What’s wrong with your lips?”

“If this happens, adjustments such as dissolving or refining fillers can restore balance,” advises Naveen.

Naveen clarified that “fish lips” can occur without the use of skinny shots and can simply be the result of weight loss, as could be the case with Jessica.

Sunken eyes

Another unwelcome side effect of skinny pricks is hollowness under the eyes.

“Ozempic can cause hollow or sunken eyes,” explains Naveen. “This is due to the reduction of facial fat, including the delicate fat pads under the eyes.

“These fat pads provide volume and cushion the area, giving it a smooth and youthful appearance.

“As facial fat decreases with rapid weight loss, the skin under the eyes can appear deeper, leading to a hollow or tired appearance.

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“Additionally, thinner skin in this area can make blood vessels and pigmentation more visible.”

Sharon Osbourne, 72, has been touted in the media as an example of the Ozempic face for the past two years, after revealing she had lost 42 pounds on the drug.

The music manager has been open about her five facelifts over the years – including one that failed – but her recent weight loss transformation has sparked huge intrigue over her ‘new face’.

Fans on

Saggy neck

Even your neck isn’t safe from skinny shots like Ozempic. “Rapid weight loss can potentially lead to looser skin and neck ties and accentuate wrinkles,” says Naveen.

“This happens because the skin may not fully retract after fat loss, revealing laxity in the area.”

Like her famous daughters, 69-year-old Kris Jenner has struggled to shake off the skinny prick rumors, with one nutritionist noting that her recent weight loss has caused “significant muscle loss” around her neck.

And then the mother of six “used filler to compensate for the possible loss of volume due to her rapid weight loss,” Rania Batayneh predicted.

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Researchers on social media also agree with the theory. Some have called Kris Jenner an “Ozempic queen” and wondered why her neck is so heavily filtered in photos.

“No lines on her neck?” one examined last month. “Please, no one looks like that.”

“The neck doesn’t lie,” another critic joked.

Kris has not commented on the rumors that she is using weight loss shots, but she did admit that she had a facelift in 2011.

Bulldog cheeks

Numerous studies have been conducted into the phenomenon that owners and dogs look alike. So much so that it is now considered a scientific fact.

But the last thing you want is to end up looking like a bulldog… especially if you don’t have one as a pet.

Unfortunately, this can be an unpleasant side effect of skinny shots that are virtually impossible to undo without going under the knife.

“Rapid weight loss from medications like Ozempic can lead to fat loss in the face, especially the center of the face, resulting in a hollow or saggy appearance in the cheeks and jaw,” explains Naveen.

“On social media this is called ‘bulldog cheeks’ and it occurs because reduced facial volume can accentuate skin laxity and gravity.

“Although the term is colloquial, the underlying problems are structural changes caused by the loss of fat that previously supported the face.”