Getting Fillers After Weight Loss Injections
In the last couple of years, weight loss injections, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have become increasingly popular. Originally FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, Ozempic works to regulate blood sugar levels, reduce the rate of digestion, and make patients feel fuller for longer, all factors that contribute to significant weight loss. When it became clear that there was a demand for the medication as a weight-loss injection, Novo Nordic, the company responsible for Ozempic, released Wegovy, which was FDA-approved specifically for weight-loss treatment. However, rapid weight loss is associated with some unwanted side effects, especially across many areas of the face. When patients lose a significant amount of weight in a short period, skin elasticity cannot keep up, leading to loss of facial volume and high skin laxity (sagging skin), which contributes to the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, hollow areas, and jowls along the jawline. When experiencing these side effects, many patients wonder what cosmetic procedures can be done to reduce the effects of loss of volume and elasticity on the face. Luckily, expert board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green has a non-surgical, liquid facelift solution that improves facial contours for a more youthful appearance: dermal fillers.
Dermal fillers are a non-surgical, non-ablative injectable treatment option that helps patients achieve their ideal face shape by filling in lost volume, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, sculpting the jawline, and enhancing the contours of the face. Several types of filler injections are available at Dr. Green’s dermatology office, including hyaluronic acid-based facial fillers like Juvederm and Restylane, collagen production-inducing poly-L-lactic acid fillers like Sculptra, and calcium hydroxyapatite-based fillers like Radiesse. Depending on where you are in your weight loss journey, different types of filler can be slotted into your treatment plan to help with your facial rejuvenation. Unlike plastic surgery, dermal fillers provide patients with excellent results without the need for any downtime. As patients reach their target weight, touch-ups can be done to adjust the results as needed. When patients schedule their initial consultation with expert injector Dr. Michele Green, she will generate the treatment plan to meet their needs best.
Experienced board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green has been expertly treating patients in her Upper East Side New York City office for more than 25 years. Dr. Green is a master at generating individualized treatment plans, promoting wellness, and helping each patient achieve their aesthetic goals. With her proprietary line of skincare products, MGSKINLABs, and a wide range of cosmetic and medical treatment options available, including dermal fillers, Microneedling, laser treatment, Botox, chemical peels, and more, Dr. Green can address a wide range of skin conditions and cosmetic concerns. Well-known for high patient satisfaction, Dr. Green has been voted one of New York City’s best healthcare providers by such publications as Castle Connolly, Super Doctors, and New York Magazine.
What is the best injection for weight loss?
Injectable weight loss treatments are becoming increasingly common due to their ability to cause rapid weight loss without the need to visit a plastic surgeon or follow a strict diet. The first injectable treatment to garner notice for this effect was the Ozempic semaglutide injectable treatment. Originally FDA-approved to help manage the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, Ozempic works by regulating blood sugar levels and slowing digestion, which makes patients feel fuller for longer. Patients using Ozempic injections noticed rapid weight loss as a side effect of the treatment, causing many people without type 2 diabetes to seek out the injection as a weight loss treatment. Novo Nordic, the company that produces Ozempic, then released an injectable treatment called Wegovy, which has been FDA-approved specifically for weight loss. When it comes to weight loss, patients looking for immediate results can turn to Wegovy as a highly effective treatment option.
How does weight loss affect the face?
Both Wegovy and Ozempic are very effective at triggering significant weight loss over a short period. When weight loss happens rapidly, skin elasticity cannot keep up with the fat loss, meaning the skin on the face and body appears loose and sagging. Additionally, fat pads in the face can disappear, leading to a hollow or gaunt appearance. Sagging skin and loss of fat pads can also emphasize signs of the natural aging process, including fine lines, wrinkles, jowls, and lost volume. These symptoms occur so commonly as a side effect of weight loss injections that they are known colloquially as “Ozempic Face.” Ozempic Face can be avoided by starting with a lower dose of the injectable treatment so that skin elasticity can keep up with the fat loss and shrinking fat pads. However, if rapid weight loss has already occurred and the face appears gaunt, hollow, or sagging, soft tissue dermal fillers may be the best treatment option.
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are an injectable treatment option best used to restore lost volume, shape the jawline, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and jowls, and augment features such as the lips, cheeks, and chin for an overall more contoured appearance. Dermal fillers are most commonly used on the face, and different types of dermal fillers are used in different areas of the face for a full liquid facelift. Most often, Dr. Green will turn to hyaluronic acid fillers, such as the Juvederm and Restylane family of fillers, poly-L-lactic acid fillers, such as Sculptra, or calcium hydroxylapatite fillers, such as Radiesse. Many patients turn to dermal fillers for facial contouring as opposed to plastic surgery, as dermal fillers provide excellent results without the need for any downtime. Fillers are not permanent, though patients can schedule touch-up appointments every six months to two years to maintain the treatment results.
Can you get fillers on Ozempic?
Ozempic causes rapid weight loss, which can lead to symptoms of “Ozempic Face,” which is when skin elasticity cannot keep up with the fat loss, leading to sagging skin, hollows, and a gaunt appearance. Patients experiencing Ozempic Face can turn to dermal fillers for a fuller, smoother, more youthful appearance to the face. Dermal fillers can be used in the midface and at the temples to fill in lost volume, create a lifted look to the skin, and reduce the appearance of facial hollows. Sagging skin along the jawline can lead to the formation of jowls. When dermal fillers are injected along the jawline, the treatment can help to eliminate facial jowls. Loss of fat pads in the face can also contribute to under-eye hollows, which are shadowy circles under the eyes. Dermal fillers can provide structure and support to the skin under the eyes, reducing the shadowing effect.
Can you get Botox on Ozempic?
While dermal fillers help to fill in lost volume to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, Botox is an injectable treatment that eliminates dynamic wrinkles, such as crow’s feet, forehead lines, and glabellar lines. Dynamic wrinkles are the creases that form when you move your face and make facial expressions. In youth, these creases are only visible when making that facial expression, for example, the fine lines around your eyes when you smile or squint, forehead lines that appear when you raise your eyebrows, or vertical lines that appear between the eyebrows when you furrow your brow. Over time, these creases become etched into the skin, becoming more visible. Sagging skin due to rapid weight loss can also make these dynamic wrinkles more visible. As such, it is possible to continue Botox treatment while on Ozempic to address dynamic wrinkles on the face.
What are the best fillers for the face after weight loss?
Dr. Green has several types of dermal fillers available at her New York City dermatology office, and each has a slightly different function. No one filler that Dr. Green has to offer is inherently “better” than another. Rather, one might be more appropriate depending on where you are in your weight loss journey. The best types of dermal fillers after weight loss are as follows:
Restylane: The Restylane family of dermal fillers are hyaluronic acid fillers, meaning the active ingredient in the injection is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that helps to hydrate the skin to keep it smooth and supported. The Restylane portfolio of fillers is extensive, with varying particle sizes and cross-linking technology to address many areas of the face. Dr. Green will often turn to the Restylane family of fillers throughout your weight loss journey, as they provide patients with immediate results that last six to eighteen months.
Juvederm: Similarly to Restylane fillers, the Juvederm family of fillers are hyaluronic acid-based fillers. Created by the company Allergan, which also makes Botox, Juvederm fillers also vary in particle size and cross-linking technology to be used on various areas of the face, including the cheeks, mid-face, under-eye hollows, nasolabial folds, lips, marionette lines, and jawline. Depending on the Juvederm filler used, results can last from six to eighteen months.
Sculptra: Composed of the active ingredient poly-L-lactic acid, Sculptra is sometimes also referred to as a collagen stimulator filler. Particularly effective for volume loss in the midface, Sculptra triggers the body’s natural production of collagen to enhance structural support for tighter, firmer skin. When it comes to weight loss treatment, Sculptra is best for patients who have already achieved their ideal weight. As Sculptra takes advantage of the body’s natural collagen production processes, the results are long-lasting, with the effects of the treatment visible for up to two years.
Can fillers make you look thinner?
Dermal fillers are injectable substances that help to add volume and support to the face. Many patients wonder if adding filler can make the face look fuller, but in fact, adding volume in the right places can actually make the face look thinner and slimmer. Sagging skin caused by rapid weight loss and loss of fat pads can lead to drooping skin along the jawline, which can make the face look heavier. Dermal fillers help to lift the skin, improving cheekbone and jawline definition to reduce jowls and sagging skin. Dermal fillers are highly effective at creating balance and symmetry in the face.
What is the best filler to slim the face?
Slim, youthful-looking faces are generally characterized by fullness in the cheeks and smooth, tight skin. Fat pads create this fullness in the cheeks in the midface that can disappear due to rapid weight loss. Furthermore, as fat pads disappear over a short period, skin elasticity may not be able to keep up, leading to sagging skin. The best filler to slim the face in this instance is typically a cheek filler that can create lift in the cheekbones, such as Juvederm Voluma, Restylane Lyft, or Sculptra.
Does your face sag after fillers?
One common side effect of weight loss treatments, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, is rapid weight loss, which can lead to sagging skin and a loss of facial fat pads, which leads to a gaunt appearance to the face. Dermal fillers are a highly effective treatment option for addressing these unwanted side effects of the weight loss treatment. In fact, dermal fillers can be effectively used to reduce the impact of sagging skin by creating lift and support. For significant skin sagging following weight loss, Dr. Green may pair dermal fillers with skin-tightening laser therapy, such as Thermage radiofrequency treatment, which is often considered the Gold Standard for skin tightening.
What happens to fillers if I lose weight?
Dermal fillers work to restore lost volume, contour the jawline, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by adding structural support or boosting collagen production in the treatment area. Some fillers can be used throughout your weight loss journey, such as hyaluronic acid fillers, while others, such as Sculptra, are best used to address any sagging skin or facial hollows once you have reached your ideal weight. When you have your initial consultation with Dr. Green, she will develop the treatment plan that will work best for you where you are in your weight loss process.
Can fillers help with Ozempic face?
When patients ask if fillers can help reduce the appearance of Ozempic face, the answer is yes! Common characteristics of Ozempic face include sagging skin, loss of facial fat pads, the formation of jowls, and the increased appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Dermal fillers are highly effective treatment options for restoring lost facial volume, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, contouring the jawline, lifting the cheekbones, and filling in midface and temple hollows.
Can fillers help with Ozempic butt?
Ozempic butt is a casual term for sagging skin and volume loss that can appear on the buttocks following rapid weight loss. Dermal fillers can help with what is known as a non-surgical butt lift to restore lost volume and create smoother, firmer skin. When it comes to a non-surgical butt lift, Dr. Green will usually turn to Radiesse and Sculptra. Patients often prefer dermal fillers over plastic surgery for filling in lost volume in the buttocks, as there is no need for any downtime with dermal fillers, and there is a very low risk of serious side effects.
Should I get dermal fillers before or after weight loss?
When undergoing weight loss treatment, it is best to wait until after the treatment has taken effect before getting dermal fillers. Some types of fillers, such as hyaluronic acid fillers, may be used throughout the weight loss process. However, collagen stimulators, such as Sculptra, should only be used after patients have reached their ideal weight. When rapid weight loss occurs, the body devotes energy to keeping vital organs functioning, meaning that collagen production will be reduced during that time. Dr. Green will help patients determine if and when dermal filler treatment is right for them during their weight loss journey.
What is the new weight loss shot in 2024?
The newest weight loss injection treatment, which was FDA-approved in the fall of 2023, is Zepbound. Similarly to Wegovy or Ozempic, Zepbound helps promote weight loss by reducing patients’ appetites and thereby reducing calorie intake. While Wegovy and Ozempic function with the active ingredient semaglutide, Zepbound uses the active ingredient tirzepatide. Studies have shown that when Zepbound is paired with increased physical activity and reduced calorie intake, it causes a significant decrease in body weight.
What are the best dermal fillers for Ozempic?
The best first step in determining which dermal filler is right to treat the side effects of Ozempic is to schedule an initial consultation with expert board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green. Dr. Green will begin by examining the treatment area, discussing your aesthetic goals, and determining where you are in your weight loss journey before creating your treatment plan. Typically, Dr. Green will turn to hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm and Restylane or collagen stimulators like Sculptra, depending on your specific needs.
How to get started with dermal filler treatment today
Ozempic and Wegovy are injectable treatments that lead to rapid weight loss for patients. While weight loss is often the desired effect of these injections, significant weight loss over a short period can lead to unwanted side effects, including loss of fat pads in the face and reduced skin elasticity, which leads to sagging skin, the formation of jowls, and emphasizes the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. All this can lead to a hollow, heavy, drooping look on the face, leading many patients to seek out a solution. Luckily, dermal fillers are a safe and effective treatment option for restoring lost volume, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and jowls, contouring the jawline, and providing a full liquid facelift. Wherever you are on your weight loss journey, expert dermatologist Dr. Michele Green will create the treatment plan that meets your needs.
Dr. Michele Green is an internationally renowned board-certified dermatologist with over two and a half decades of experience providing her patients with the best non-invasive treatment options. Dr. Green takes a holistic approach and embraces a less-is-more philosophy, creating customized skincare routines and treatment plans that cater to the unique concerns and aesthetic goals of her patients. She is consistently identified as one of New York’s best dermatologists by Castle Connolly, New York Magazine, and Super Doctors for her dedication to her patients and expertise. Please call us at 212-535-3088 or email our New York City-based office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Michele Green to explore how dermal fillers can help in your weight loss journey.