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About two years ago, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank noticed a new type of patient arriving at his New York practice. Amid an explosion in the number of Americans losing weight with drugs like Ozempic, he saw a “dramatic spike” in clients experiencing unwelcome side effects.

“Although they felt much better losing weight, in some ways they felt they looked older,” he said via a voice note. “And this was due to the loss of volume in their face.”

Frank started using the term “Ozempic face” — a label he believes he coined — to describe the phenomenon. It has since become a social media byword for the sagging skin and hollowed-out appearance that can accompany the use of GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (the active ingredient in branded drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy).

“Usually, with people from their mid-40s and above, once you start losing 10-plus pounds, you can get this kind of deflated look,” said Frank, who is the founder of aesthetic health care brand PFRANKMD and the author of “The Pro-Aging Playbook.” “Certainly, people losing 20 or 30-plus pounds are going to have this problem.”

“You can only refill a deflated balloon so much, and often surgical intervention is necessary.” Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank

Semaglutide works by stimulating the pancreas to trigger insulin production, curbing users’ appetite and contributing to feelings of fullness.