Have you ever met someone with ‘Ozempic breasts’ or ‘Ozempic face’?

Everyone knows an Ozempic user looks thinner, but there are often other less discussed impacts on a person’s appearance. 

On Newstalk Daily, Irish Country Living journalist Rosalind Skillen said a whole vocabulary has developed to describe how people look when they take weight loss medication.  

“The term ‘Ozempic face’ refers to the kind of gaunt and sunken cheeks,” she explained. 

“‘Ozempic neck’, which is a lot of the loose, sagging skin around the neck. 

“Then that brings us on, I suppose, to ‘Ozempic breasts’, which again, refers to the change in the shape and the size of breasts and how the weight loss causes the breasts to lose a lot of volume.” 

An Ozempic pen. Picture by: Gavin Rodgers/pixel8000.

While weight loss drugs have been hailed as a gamechanger in the global fight against obesity, in medical terms they are still relatively new.

It means scientists are still analysing their long-term impact on users’ bodies. 

Ms Skillen added that in her reporting on the issue, she spoke to some medical professionals who had heard references to 'Ozempic breasts' and 'Ozempic face'.

However, they always declined to use the phrases themselves. 

“A GP I spoke to had heard of the terms, again, was a little bit uncomfortable with them,” she said. 

“But I suppose we've all heard of them anecdotally as well, although they're not medical diagnoses.” 

As yet, there is no clinical data on how many people in Ireland are taking weight loss medication. 

However, whatever the side effects, no one doubts that millions around the world will continue to take weight loss drugs. 

“What are the things that people are willing to tolerate to be thin?” Ms Skillen asked.  

“In terms of side effects, like last January actually, the BBC reported that the number of gallbladder surgeries recorded by NHS England in 2024 to 2025 was at its highest peak in the last decade.

“Doctors there said there could be a link between obesity treatment drugs and an increase in gallbladder removals.” 

Future of weight loss medication

Still, the medication is only in its infancy and scientists are already working solutions to mitigate Ozempic’s side effects. 

“Only last week, I saw a headline in another paper about a man who had designed this product for all the loose skin as a result of GLP-1 medications,” Ms Skillen said. 

“I've heard reports of more women who are getting aesthetic procedures to correct ‘Ozempic face’. 

“So, maybe they're getting fillers to address the loss of volume and elasticity in terms of the corrections that people are then making to their body off the back of having taken this drug in the first place.”

Main image: Ozempic pens. Picture by: Alamy.com.