NIPS & TUCKS

The Ozempic Boom Is Driving a New Plastic Surgery Trend

GLP-1s can be transformative for patients. For some, it’s just the beginning.

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and other appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications have surged in popularity in the past few years.

Many Hollywood celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, and Amy Schumer, swear by the drugs.

But while GLP-1s can help with significant weight loss, the skin doesn’t always keep up with these rapid transformations. A report published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed a surge in demand for lifting procedures and called them the “defining category of 2025.”

These procedures included body-contouring and face-lifting techniques to address excess, sagging skin, a common side effect of rapid weight loss.

Last year, upper body lifts grew the most in popularity, surging 22 percent from 2024, with arm and neck lifts close behind at a 21 percent increase. Other categories that saw noticeable increases included thigh lifts, facelifts, and breast lifts.

“One theme stands out: More patients appear to be seeking aesthetic surgery to complete their weight loss journey after using GLP-1 medications,” Dr. C. Bob Basu, president of the ASPS, wrote in his introduction letter.

Other surgeons agreed. Houston-based plastic surgeon Dr. Kristy Hamilton was quoted in the report: “I have noticed a significant increase in the number of consults and, therefore, surgeries that are driven by weight loss secondary to the use of GLP-1 medications. It’s more than a trend; it’s a seismic shift, and plastic surgery is forever changed by the advent of these drugs.”

Over four out of five ASPS member surgeons received consultation requests related to GLP-1 use, a trend multiple plastic surgeons have also noted in previous interviews with The Looker.

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drop and lift

Woman Gets Stunning Facelift After 80-Pound Weight Loss

Roosa Rahkonen

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“GLP-1s are probably the single most powerful factors behind plastic surgery these days,” Beverly Hills board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Gould told The Looker in May. “I believe that about 70 to 80 percent of my patients are currently on those medications.”

Chicago-based board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sammy Sinno also told The Looker about how the rise of GLP-1 medication was changing his clientele: “With the advent of weight-loss medications, there has been an increase in people who have lost a dramatic amount of weight very quickly. And some of the effects are that skin and other tissues start to look and feel more saggy than they used to.”

Sagging skin can dramatically alter a person’s appearance, leading many patients to seek plastic surgery to address the issue.

“There’s no question that any weight loss accelerates aging,” board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Berlet told The Looker.

One patient who underwent a lift procedure after weight loss on GLP-1s was Ellen Larson, a 31-year-old woman from Minnesota, who opted for a breast lift.

“The surgery was really tied to my weight loss journey,” she told The Looker.

After gaining weight and then losing it on the medication, she noticed her breasts dropping more than before.

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WEIGHT LIFTED

Woman Gets Life-Changing Breast Reduction From ’36G to 36C'

Roosa Rahkonen

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“It was becoming really uncomfortable to work out, to run, to get dressed, to find clothes that I felt confident in,” she reflected on her time before the surgery.

She was very happy with her life-changing results: “I’m excited to go shopping and wear strapless, backless shirts, halter necks, everything like that, that I never could have ever worn before.”

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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