An interesting yet alarming trend is being observed in people who are losing weight with Mounjaro, loose skin, or popularly known as Mounjaro Face.

Post Mounjaro/Ozempic, many patients are now reporting a face that's saggy or making them look 10 years older.

Mounjaro Face

Neha, a 34-year-old MNC executive who came to us saying, "Doc, now that I have Zoom calls and everything, I've lost almost 20-30 kgs in the last 9 months. My weight has plateaued, but one thing I have noticed is that I have that 'Mounjaro/ Ozempic face,' which I read in one of the newspaper articles."

"Ozempic face" or "Mounjaro face" is becoming pretty common nowadays. The problem lies in the fact that the facial volume has been reduced.

The looseness of the skin accentuates the effects of weight loss. It also depends on the age and genetics of an individual. Usually, patients who are taking high doses of Mounjaro and have lost significant weight in a short span are more susceptible to facial changes like looseness of skin and loss of volume.

Why Does It Happen?

Mounjaro or Ozempic are semaglutides, which are GLP-1 agonists that act on the body to deplete body fat. It also has an impact on facial compartments, which have facial fat, include superficial and deep fat that support the face.

When these compartments are depleted of fat, it shows as hollowness, especially in the under-eye region or the cheek region. You may have a sharp jawline, but with saggy skin.

After 40 years, older patients have less collagen and elastin, so they adapt poorly to fat loss and therefore, the extent can be prominent. Also, faster weight drops with a slimmer baseline face are affected more by it.

Vitamin, mineral, and protein deficiency, along with dehydration, can be contributory factors.

How Can I Prevent It?

Well, if you are on Ozempic or Mounjaro-like drugs, make sure your protein intake is adequate. Most doctors would like to keep it around 1.5 g to 2 g per kg body weight, depending on the patient's health condition.
Another crucial aspect is strength training, especially to maintain muscle mass.

Essential intake of supplements like vitamins, minerals, and collagen can also help in maintaining skin structure.

If you're experiencing early laxity of the skin, like early skin looseness or prominent nasolabial lines, then radiofrequency, MIcroneedling, HIFU, and similar technologies might work.

In some cases, fillers and threads can help you, but these are not long-term measures.

In cases where there is loss of complete elasticity, the treatment remains surgical, which, depending on the extent, can be a full or mini facelift. In this, not only is facial skin tightened, but also the deeper muscle layer is tightened. To restore the volume, many patients opt for facial fat transfer, where the body's own fat can be used to augment lost volume in the face.