One of the most popular weight loss drugs on the market right now is Ozempic. Ozempic is the brand name for a drug that uses the active ingredient semaglutide to help you lose weight. Originally developed and prescribed as a diabetes drug, Ozempic patients noticed significant weight loss while taking the drug, which has led to more people using the drug to try and help them slim down.

While Ozempic is not FDA approved for treating weight loss, studies have shown that it can be a safe and effective way to help manage your weight.

Another semaglutide medication, Wegovy, has been FDA approved for weight loss use, and uses a higher concentration of the active ingredient. The level of the active ingredients and the usage instructions are important when using a drug of this kind, so if you do choose to use a semaglutide medication for weight loss, but sure to talk to your doctor so they can prescribe you the correct brand and dosage for your needs.

Is Ozempic Too Good to Be True?

While many people out there swear by Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs, there are many skeptics out there that claim that it can’t be good for you, and that a weight loss drug like this must come with severe side effects.

The truth of the matter is, there have been many studies on these drugs and while their overall use has been approved by the FDA for weight loss, these drugs are still not for everyone.

If you’re just looking to shed a few pounds to make yourself look better, and don’t have any underlying health problems due to your weight, then these drugs might not be the answer.

Yes, they can help you lose weight, but the side effects and possible complications may not be worth it for some people.

Who is Ozempic Prescribed For?

Typically, Ozempic should only be prescribed for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, or early signs of diabetes. The drug is designed to manage blood glucose levels and increase insulin levels when your body needs them. It can also reduce the amount of glucose produced by the liver. 

Wegovy, the semaglutide FDA approved for weight loss, is typically prescribed to people that are obese and have a BMI over 30 or those with a BMI over 27 who also suffer from other health issues related to their weight.

So really, these drugs are not designed for the person wanting to lose 10 pounds for the summer, but more so to help those people suffering from health issues related to their obesity, lose weight.

Of course that’s not always going to be the case, and people across the world have been using both drugs to help them shed a few pounds when eating and exercising don’t seem to be working for them. However, if most people would just treat their bodies correctly, they could probably shed the weight without the use of these drugs.

Is Ozempic Dangerous and What is Ozempic Face?

Ozempic and Wegovy do have certain side effects that may not be worth the risk if you’re just trying to lose a few pounds.

These side effects can be different for each person and it’s important to understand these side effects before taking the medication. The most common side effects are related to gastrointestinal issues, which makes sense since the drug affects the part of the brain that regulates eating, but there are other major side effects like thyroid tumors that could be worrisome (but keep in mind, those are rare).

“Ozempic Face” is another side effect that a lot of people have been talking about lately due to the fact that some celebrities that have used the drug have been seen with thinner faces and more sunken eyes, almost as if they are extremely sick.

While it may be true that these people using the drug are exhibiting these symptoms in their face, it’s not necessarily from the drug itself, it’s more so due to the sudden weight loss they are experiencing because of the drug use.

Even if you eat healthy and work out constantly, you’re going to end up losing weight across your entire body, which includes your face. So, your face is going to change with any sudden weight loss over a shorter period of time.

So, while people may be concerned about developing “Ozempic Face” just by merely taking the drug itself, it’s more of a concern if you start losing a ton of weight in a quick amount of time. Be cautious when losing a lot of weight quickly, no matter what the method, as it could lead to this, almost sickly, looking facial features if you’re not careful.

Why Shouldn’t I Take Ozempic?

One of the things people don’t realize about taking Ozempic for weight loss, is that once you start taking it and seeing the results, you’ll most likely have to continue to take the drug for a long time in order to maintain that weight loss.

Many people who have lost weight on Ozempic have tried to stop taking it, only to notice that the weight they lost then begins to return.

It’s also important that you also exercise while on Ozempic. Strength training and weightlifting are important as Ozempic, while burning fat away, is also burning away lean muscle. This is also another reason why people notice their facial features changing slightly while on the drug. They are losing the muscle in their face in addition to the fat they wanted to burn.

Keeping up with weight training and strengthening at the gym, will help you maintain a healthy muscle percentage in your body and will help you stay strong and less tired.

Ozempic and Weight Loss

Ozempic and Wegovy are great products for those that suffer from health issues related to their weight. It can literally save people’s lives by helping obese people lose fat and allow their body to return to a healthy weight, which can help alleviate disease and other health related issues they may be suffering from.

Of course, It’s always going to be used by people who don’t necessarily need it and are only using the drug to shed a few pounds for their beach vacations. But just be careful if you do decide to use it. Talk with your doctor and see if semaglutide drugs are right for you. Your doctor will be able to best advise you on the pros and cons of the drugs and can help you make the right decision for your body.

Everyone wants to lose a little weight, but putting your overall health at risk for a couple pounds is probably not the best idea.

Over the past few years, many celebrities and social media stars have gotten fillers to increase both the volume and size of their lips as well as to enhance their cheek bones and remove wrinkles. This new trend has caused fillers to become one of the top non-surgical facial treatments for women, and it has been growing for men as well.

Kylie Jenner has admitted to removing the fillers that were inside her lips, while other celebrities like Blac Chyna have gone through the process of dissolving the fillers in her cheeks and jawline.

Very few women are lucky enough to be born with full, pouty lips and perfect cheek bones. The vast majority have to rely upon getting fillers such as Juvéderm or Restylane injected at a plastic surgeon’s office.

These fillers can help plump the lips as well as reshape the jawline and cheek bones to help give a more desired look, but what happens when that look goes out of a style or you want to go back to your more natural look?

[VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y433KMmBNr0]

Why Would Someone Want to Remove Their Fillers?

One of the main reasons women would want to get facial fillers removed is due to buyer’s remorse. They most likely went to a “Groupon beauty clinic” who performed the procedure at a discount and ended up with results they were not happy with.

This is not always the case though when it comes to having your fillers removed. As the times change the look of “beauty” in the media changes as well. If you look back to the 90’s, everyone was always trying to be super thin while today most women are looking for a fuller more athletic look.

As these trends change over time, the way you view your body may change as well. We like to compare this to getting a tattoo while in college. Yes, that butterfly on your lower back was the thing to do when you were 19, but now that you’re 35 it might not fit with your current lifestyle.

The same thing happens with plastic surgery and non-surgical procedures, especially fillers.

That big lipped, high cheek bone, wide jawline-look that was popular 5 years ago may not be the look you want to live with anymore, so you may opt to have your fillers removed or dissolved depending on what type of fillers you have.

Is it Possible to Remove or Dissolve Facial Fillers?

Whatever the reason for wanting to get lip fillers removed, thankfully there are a few ways to go about having these fillers removed or dissolved.

Stop Maintaining the Fillers

Not all facial fillers are permanent or need to be removed though, some fillers will be absorbed by the body naturally overtime. One of the easiest ways to remove the plump lip look is to stop getting maintenance injections when they are due. This will cause the lips to lose volume to some extent – but won’t cause it to go away completely. In most cases, only 85% of the volume will disappear.

The same goes for wrinkle fillers. Over time, these fillers will be absorbed by your body and the wrinkles will begin to appear again. Wrinkle fillers typically aren’t removed and are the most maintained by women trying to keep that youthful look, but when it comes to lips and cheeks, those may require doctor intervention to completely remove.

Have a Doctor Dissolve the Fillers

If the fillers used in your lips or cheeks are made from hyaluronic acids, then these can be dissolved by your doctor by injecting Hyaluronidase into the fillers. This will cause the original fillers to slowly dissolve and be absorbed back into the body leaving you with your more natural look.

It should be noted that Hyaluronidase will not reverse such brand name fillers as: Bellafill, Radiesse, and Sculptra. In situations like this the patient will have to wait for their body to absorb the fillers or get a steroid injection. A consultation with a plastic surgeon before deciding what to do will produce optimal results.

Possible Side Effects of Filler Removal

It should be noted that getting rid of fillers is not as straight-forward as it seems. There are a few caveats that most people don’t take into consideration when they opt for the initial injections in the first place:

Not All Fillers are Dissolvable

Depending on what type and kind of filler was used, it’s possible that the procedure is not reversible. Unless the doctor used Teosyla, Juvéderm, or Restylane, there’s a good chance that the process cannot be reversed, or it will take a long time for it to go away.

The above three mentioned injectables can be reversed via a hyaluronidase injection, which almost immediately begins to go to work in just a few hours.

Permanent Changes Can Occur 

Even after the hyaluronidase injection has been given and the lip volume starts to go down, most people only see an 80% – 85% reduction in the volume. You may not always see your lips or other areas of your face completely return back to normal especially if you’ve had many maintenance fillers injected over the years.

The lips and cheeks may retain some of the filler and you may not be able to fully dissolve everything, but in most cases dissolving the filler will leave you close to your more natural look than with the fillers in.

Why Do People Get Fillers?

The purpose of a filler is to improve the shape, structure, and volume of the lips, cheek bones, or jawline. Fillers can also be used to hide wrinkles and aging lines to make the skin appear more youthful.  The overall effects will last for around six months, after which maintenance injections will need to be administered to keep up the appearance.

Most women who get fillers get an injection of Hyaluronic acid (HA) into their lips or face. HA is a natural component of human skin and is broken down and naturally absorbed by the body. While the stated average lifespan of a lip filler injection is around six months, although many people have reported that the lip injections will last for a few months longer.

How are Fillers Injected?

Lip filler injections and other fillers, are a medical procedure and should only be administered by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Knowing how much filler to use and exactly where in the face to inject it is critical to retaining a natural look. Otherwise, areas of your face will come out bumpy and uneven if performed by an inexperienced spa technician or other non-medical professional.

Before getting the injections, a numbing agent will be applied to the injection site to ease any discomfort you might feel when the needle is inserted. After the procedure is done, you can return to your normal life as there is no downtime required.

You may notice some bruising or swelling for 24 to 48 hours afterward, and this can be managed by applying ice to the area. Lipstick and other cosmetic beauty products are advised against being used for a short period until the swelling goes away.

Should I Have My Fillers Removed?

If you’re happy with your fillers and love the way you look, then by all means you should keep them and continue to receive maintenance injections. The only person that should make the decision to have your fillers removed or dissolved should be you.

As we mentioned above, beauty trends come and go as the times change, but you don’t always have to do what everyone else is doing. If you’re unhappy with the way your fillers look, or you’re now at a different point in your life where you don’t feel the fillers are necessary, then there is no reason you should not have them removed if it will make you happy.

At the heart of it, all plastic surgery and non-surgical procedures are designed to help you feel better about yourself in your own skin. Do what makes you happy and if that means having your fillers removed at this point in your life, go for it!

 

If given the choice between a facelift that involved surgery or a liquid facelift, most people would probably opt for the liquid facelift. However, without an understanding of what a liquid facelift is and what it does, most of those people would probably be disappointed in the results.

This isn’t because a liquid facelift doesn’t work, because it can provide great results to those that would benefit from it, it’s because most people seeking out a facelift need more help than the liquid facelift can give.

A liquid facelift is a great way to help fix minor problem areas in people that wouldn’t necessarily require a full surgical facelift yet. It’s for younger people looking make minor adjustments to fat loss and small amounts of loose skin in the face and neck area. It’s not going to be the solution to fix major jawline issues or extreme sagging skin, but it can present a more youthful look overall.

What is a Liquid Facelift?

A liquid facelift technically is neither liquid nor a facelift. It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses injectables under the skin in the face and neck area, to help plump up certain problem areas. It can also help smooth out wrinkles around the eyes and in the folds between the nose and mouth.

A liquid facelift relies on injectable fillers like Radiesse, Restylane, Juvederm, and Sculptra to help fill in problem areas without having to undergo surgery. These fillers are injected under the skin to help replace fat and collagen that has been lost due to the aging process. It helps reduce that aging look that some people get as their skin begins to sag over time.

While this procedure is non-invasive, it still requires a needle to inject the fillers under the skin. Similar to the way that Botox is injected. In fact, when used in combination with Botox, patients tend to see better results.

But who will see the biggest benefit from a liquid facelift?

Patients in their 30s and 40s tend to respond best to the liquid facelift procedures as their skin still maintains a higher level of elasticity and the sagging and appearance of their face isn’t as drastic as someone in their 50s or 60s.

Now that’s not to say that a liquid facelift can’t be performed on older patients, it just means that the results may not be as good as a person may be expecting. Once the skin loses its elasticity and they lose more and more fat and collagen under the skin, adding fillers to the areas can cause the face to look bloated, puffy, and unnatural.

In these cases, a traditional surgical facelift is most likely the best option if you want to get the best results. But as with any surgical or non-surgical procedure, talk with your doctor before making any decisions on which method is right for you.

Benefits of a Liquid Facelift

The main benefit of a liquid facelift is that it is not a surgical procedure. Since the doctor will be using injectables as opposed to actually removing excess skin and tissue, the procedure is quicker, less uncomfortable, requires less recovery time, and is more cost effective.

However, because of those benefits you lose out on the longevity of the procedure. A liquid facelift will not last forever, whereas a traditional surgical facelift is more permanent and will last many years before you start to notice the effects of aging catching up with you.

The downside of the liquid facelift is that you’ll never be able to receive the results that you would get from a traditional surgical facelift, it’s not just possible.

How Long Does a Liquid Facelift Last?

As with most injectable procedures, the effects of a liquid facelift are only temporary. As time marches on, your body will slowly break down the fillers that have been injected into your body and you’ll start to lose the effect.

This process generally takes anywhere between 6 and 24 months, and depends on the type of filler used, where the filler was injected, and the amount of filler that was used. If you wish to maintain the look acquired after a liquid facelift, it would be best to setup a treatment plan with your doctor for regular visits.

How Much Does a Liquid Facelift Cost?

On average a liquid facelift can cost between $2000 – $7000 depending on how much work needs to be done, your geographical location, and other extraneous factors. But in most cases, you can expect to pay roughly somewhere between these amounts.

A traditional facelift can range between $7500 – $15000 depending on the location of the surgeon, the surgeon themselves, and how much work is required to achieve the desired results.

As you can see, a traditional facelift comes at a much steeper cost as well as a longer recovery period.

Liquid Facelift vs. Traditional Surgical Facelift

Both procedures have their pros and cons, but the important thing to remember is to listen to your doctor or surgeon. They have been performing these procedures for a long time and have firsthand experience with the results.

They will be able to give you a better understanding of whether or not you would even see the benefits of a liquid facelift, or if a surgical facelift would give you the results you’re looking for. There’s nothing worse than going through a non-surgical procedure expecting the results to look one way, and then being disappointed with how they actually turned out.

Liquid facelifts are not going to bring your face and neck back to what they were when you were in your 20’s, but if you’re looking for minor improvements as you reach your 30’s and 40’s, this procedure is a great way to bring back some of that youthfulness you may have lost over the years.