What Doctors Want You to Know About ‘Ozempic Breasts’
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Some people who take semaglutide drugs (the main active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) are reporting “Ozempic breasts.”
The term explains breast changes that happen after weight loss.
Doctors explain if there are ways to prevent this.
Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes drug, exploded in popularity after reports showed it may lead to significant weight loss. With that, there has been chatter about things like Ozempic face and Ozempic butt that may happen after taking medications leading to weight loss. Now, there’s another potential Ozempic side effect getting attention on social media: “Ozempic breasts.”
Meet the experts: Mir Ali, M.D., bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Kunal Shah, M.D., an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center
People on TikTok are noting that their breasts are saggier, changing shape, and even feeling tender since using Ozempic. But can taking a medication that leads to weight loss impact your breasts? Doctors weigh in.
What are Ozempic breasts?
“Ozempic breasts” isn’t a medical diagnosis or term and, with that, there’s a little variability in what this can mean. People are loosely using the term to describe having breast changes when they take Ozempic.
The exact changes people experience can vary, though. Some say that their breasts are saggier and less full than they used to be. Others report that they’ve changed shape or even feel a little sore (which may not be associated with the medication at all).
What do Ozempic breasts look like?
People aren’t sharing photos of their breasts online, but they’re generally describing a deflated look, with less breast fullness than they used to have. Some also have nipples that face downward.
Why do Ozempic breasts happen?
A lot of this boils down to fat loss. “It’s not really a side effect of the medication but more the result of the weight loss,” says Mir Ali, M.D., bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA.
Breasts have a lot of fatty tissue in them and, as you lose weight, you also lose fat in the breasts, Dr. Ali explains.
“It’s very similar to ‘Ozempic face,’ where there’s a loss of facial fat,” says Kunal Shah, M.D., an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center.
But while Ozempic breasts are mostly due to fat loss, there can be some muscle loss involved, too. “As people start losing more and more weight, some of the weight loss can come from muscle as well,” Dr. Shah says.
It’s important to point out that this isn’t just a side effect of Ozempic or any of the other injectable medications that people use to lose weight. “We see this in patients who lose weight after surgery, medications, or even on their own,” Dr. Ali says. “Any kind of weight loss can also lose fatty tissue in the breast and cause the breasts to sag.”
How are Ozempic breasts treated?
If you think you are experiencing a change in your breasts due to weight loss, you don’t technically need to treat it. Meaning, this isn’t going to harm your health or anything. But if don’t like the appearance of your breasts after using Ozempic or similar injectable medications, you could consider seeing a plastic surgeon. “Cosmetic surgery would help,” Dr. Shah says. “It’s basically just redistribution of fat—it would be like the breast version of a tummy tuck.”
Can you prevent Ozempic breasts?
That’s a tricky one. “You can’t direct where the body is going to lose the weight,” Dr. Ali says. Still, doctors say you may be able to help minimize the appearance of Ozempic breasts by doing a few different things.
One is to load up on protein in your diet. “For my patients that are close to experiencing significant weight loss, which I would consider more than 10% of their body weight, I have them maintain a very strong protein intake,” Dr. Shah says. When you couple this with weight training, especially focused on the pectoral muscles which sit behind the breasts, he says it’s possible to help create a perkier appearance.
At the same time, Dr. Shah suggests drinking plenty of water and moisturizing the skin around your breasts well. “Ozempic and these other medications can make you very dehydrated,” he explains. “Oral hydration is really important for skincare. If you’re looking at things that can help with clear, unwrinkled skin, hydration is going to be very important.”
When to see a doctor for Ozempic breasts
Again, Ozempic breasts aren’t something that need to be treated. But if you notice this phenomenon after significant weight loss and you want to do something about it, experts say it’s best to wait until you’ve hit your goal weight.
“I have a considerable amount of patients that go to plastic surgery after a significant amount of weight loss,” Dr. Shah says. “Our plastic surgeons always recommend that patients be weight-stable before the surgery, so they can have the best results.” Otherwise, there’s a risk of running into the same issue down the road if you continue to lose weight.
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