What is ‘Ozempic breast’? The drug’s latest alarming side effect

So-called “Ozempic face” may have become a frightening trademark look in Hollywood, but a new unwanted side effect has emerged from the drug.

Ozempic and other semaglutide medicines, including Wegovy, are intended as treatment for diabetes, but have been coopted by the image-conscious thanks to their remarkable weight loss capabilities.

The medication is administered as a weekly injection which helps lower blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin.

Now, as well as saggy skin, gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes, it has emerged that the injectable can lead to what is being dubbed “Ozempic breasts.”

Women who take the drug have reported suffering from sagging breasts, the New York Post reports.

However, experts have clarified that this chest change is not a direct side-effect of the medication, rather it is a normal occurrence among people who lose a significant amount of body fat in a short space of time.

“In the breast area, rapid fat loss can leave the skin envelope empty, causing the breasts to look deflated and the nipples facing downward,” Dr Ronald F. Rosso, a California-based plastic surgeon, explained to Heathline.

“This appearance is very similar to what happens after patients have had more traditional weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass.”

Meanwhile, Dr Walter J. Joseph, an aesthetic plastic and reconstructive surgeon also based in California, warned that semaglutide-takers who have been pregnant and breastfed their children may be at greater risk of “sad-looking” breasts.

To ease discomfort, Dr Elie Levine, a plastic surgeon based in New York, recommended wearing a supportive bra.

From left: Jessica Simpson; Sharon Osborne and Scott Disick are all suspected Ozempic takers jessicasimpson/Instagram/Getty Images/letthelordbewithyou/Instagram)(

Alternatively, people are seeking more invasive solutions, including breast lifts.

This procedure, more formally known as mastopexy, involves the removal of sagging skin by a plastic surgeon, who then reshapes the remaining tissue and repositions the nipple so that it faces forward rather than downward.

Mastopexy is just one example of skin-tightening operations that have soared in demand since Ozempic was first approved back in 2017. Since then, complaints about so-called “Ozempic butt” and “Ozempic face” have continued to rise.

Nevertheless, experts such as Dr Christopher Costa, founder of Platinum Plastic Surgery in Las Vegas, have urged patients to wait until they achieve, and are able to maintain, their desired weight before opting for corrective surgery.

“Your body after Ozempic may be completely different,” Costa told Heathline. “That means accepting that overall breast volume and shape may be affected.

“If you’re not ready for a cosmetic procedure, it’s OK to embrace your new look. Go shopping for new clothes to fit your new size and bust to create the best version of yourself.”

Conversely, some semaglutide takers have reported suffering from swollen, rather than sagging, breasts.

“I’m on week 3 of semaglutide (.25 dose) and have had virtually zero side effects, but the last week my breasts have been so heavy and sore!” one Reddit user wrote last month.

“They feel bigger too,” they added. “I haven’t had any weight loss so I don’t think it’s due to that.”

However, Costa said more research was needed to directly link the drugs to the kind of hormonal changes that can cause breast swelling.

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