What Is "Ozempic Face"? It’s a New Buzzy Side Effect of the Popular Weight Loss Drug
Fans think that some of their favorite A-listers are sporting new facial features.
Apr. 22 2024, Updated 11:14 a.m. ET
Sharon Osbourne, who has admitted to using Ozempic
We've all heard of the trendy, celebrity-embraced weight-loss drug called Ozempic.
Many are also becoming aware of potential side effects from taking the medication, which was originally created to help people with type 2 diabetes.
One side effect that is trending? So-called "Ozempic face." Indeed, it seems everyone is talking about certain stars who are apparently sporting the look, including Sharon Osbourne and Scott Disick.
Read on to learn more about what Ozempic face is, and see pictures of A-listers with the supposed characteristics of Ozempic face.
Scott Disick, who has never said he's taken Ozempic
So, what is Ozempic face?
According to the Daily Mail, due to the purported rampant use of the weight loss drug Ozempic in Hollywood circles, fans are starting to see their favorite A-listers sporting some new facial features, like sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, and saggy skin.
This is typical of course of a person who loses a lot of weight, according to New Jersey–based plastic surgeon Dr. Smita Ramanadham.
As the physician told the outlet, "Ozempic face is essentially the same characteristics that we see when patients have rapid or regular weight loss."
"We see a loss of volume in the face, and when we lose fat in the face we see signs like the cheeks are more sunken in, more sagging skin, and a general hollowing out of the features," Dr. Ramanadham continued, who added that this can make a person "look older" due to the loss of fat in the cheeks.
Meanwhile, experts who spoke with the Daily Mail said some celebrities may be counteracting the sunken look that results from Ozempic by using plastic surgery methods such as fillers.
Jessica Simpson in 2019 and in 2024; she has never said she uses Ozempic.
Before and after pictures of "Ozempic face" seem to tell the tale.
Amid chatter of Ozempic face, one person whose name has come to the forefront is Jessica Simpson.
She lost 100 pounds according to her own admission, but credits exercise and healthy eating, as well as "willpower," and has never said she uses Ozempic.
Meanwhile, other stars have openly discussed their use of the drug, including Tracy Morgan and Kelly Osbourne.
As Kelly previously told E! Online, "I think it's amazing. There are a million ways to lose weight, why not do it through something that's isn't as boring as working out?"
Kelly Osbourne in 2022 and in 2024; she has been open about taking Ozempic.
She also opined, "People hate on it because they want to do it. And the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can't afford it. Unfortunately, right now it's something that is very expensive but it eventually won't be because it actually works."
On social media, fans are sounding off on Ozempic face, with some saying the look is just not flattering. "I'd rather be fat than have Ozempic face," one person said on X.
To be fair, many social media users are pointing out that no matter how you lose weight, your face may tend to exhibit similar features, and reason that Ozempic face is simply a fear-mongering term, or a means of getting clicks.
A final word on the phenomenon: Ozempic face is seemingly not the most troubling potential side effect of the drug. Among the more concerning issues is that upon stopping Ozempic, people tend to gain the weight back, per Health.
Severe stomach conditions have also been reported among users, according to a 2023 study.