Stop ‘Ozempic face’ weight loss ruining your looks

Saggy skin and wrinkles can be a side-effect of using drugs to help you shed pounds. Here, Catherine Forest reveals how diet, nutrients and clever products can help smooth things out

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There's no doubt that weight loss jabs are producing dramatic transformations in the 1.5 million Britons estimated to use them.

But as celebrities including Robbie Williams, Gemma Collins and Scott Disick have shown, they can have a side-effect - so-called ‘Ozempic face’.

The sagging skin, extra wrinkles and gaunt features that can come with any rapid weight loss don't look good, but you don't need surgery or skin therapies to fight these changes. By understanding the science of healthy skin, you can cut the risk of ‘Ozempic face’. A healthy diet, the right nutrients and sun protection will help too.

Deep and meaningful

Our skin has three layers the outer epidermis, the dermis, a thicker middle layer cushioned by collagen, elastin and moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid, and the inner hypodermis largely made up of fat and connective tissue. Dr Nisa Aslam, a GP interested in skin health, says: “Most moisturisers smooth and hydrate skin cells on the surface - but for fine lines and wrinkles, products must help replenish hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin.”

What is hyaluronic acid?