The GLP-1 effect: From body to face and what happens next

Chances are you or someone close to you has been prescribed a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, which means you probably also know that these drugs have changed a lot of conversations. In 2025, one of those conversations moved somewhere you might not expect – the plastic surgeon's office.

Head to toe, the biggest topic in plastic surgery for 2025 may be the rise of GLP-1 medications for weight loss and how they may be helping reshape patient priorities. According to 2025 data, more than four out of five ASPS Member Surgeons (82 percent) reported receiving consultation requests related to GLP-1 medication use in 2025, making it one of the most significant topics in this year's member survey.

"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," said Kristy Hamilton, MD. "It's more than a trend; it's a seismic shift, and plastic surgery is forever changed by the advent of these drugs."

Why rapid weight loss can leave you with a new concern

There is a trade-off rarely mentioned with rapid weight loss from GLP-1 medications. Significant, quick weight loss doesn't always leave skin that snaps back. For many patients, that can mean loose or sagging skin, which can be uncomfortable both physically and emotionally, even after reaching a weight loss goal they are proud of.

That is the gap plastic surgery is stepping in to close, addressing comfort and quality of life alongside appearance. It also appears to be one factor behind the broad increase in lifting and contouring procedures this year.

Where patients are asking about it most

The survey asked ASPS Member Surgeons which body procedures they had fielded GLP-1-related consultations for during 2025. The share of surgeons reporting consultations for each:

• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty): 88 percent
• Breast surgery, including lifts and augmentation: 87 percent
• Arm lift: 84 percent
• Thigh lift: 80 percent
• Panniculectomy (abdominal skin removal): 67 percent
• Body lift: 62 percent

Liposuction and buttock lift rounded out the list at 55 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

Consultations and completed procedures are not the same thing, but the widespread growth across the lift category is consistent with what surgeons increasingly report hearing from patients following significant weight loss. Upper body lifts increased 22 percent, arm lifts rose 21 percent and thigh lifts climbed 20 percent. Breast lifts continued their upward trajectory, increasing 8 percent, and lower body lifts grew 4 percent.

One notable exception illustrates the distinction. Although tummy tucks ranked as the procedure surgeons most frequently discussed with GLP-1 patients, national volume increased 2 percent to 173,251 procedures, which is statistically flat. That doesn't mean patients changed their minds. Tummy tuck remains one of the country's most popular cosmetic procedures, and the consultation data may reflect a growing pipeline of patients still weighing the timing, recovery or financial commitment of surgery.

The whole-person effect

One thing patients may not be prepared for when starting a GLP-1 medication is that they can't choose where the weight comes off. Hence the rise of the popular media term "Ozempic face." GLP-1 medications can cause fat loss throughout the body, including the face, leaving a hollowed appearance. Clinically, surgeons describe these changes as facial volume loss and soft tissue descent.

Patients are noticing these changes, and the survey shows they are raising them during consultations. Among facial procedures, ASPS Member Surgeons most frequently reported GLP-1-related consultations for facelifts at 71 percent, neck lifts at 64 percent, eyelid surgery at 37 percent and brow lifts at 19 percent.

The procedure numbers followed similar upward trends. Facial fat grafting recorded the largest percentage increase of any cosmetic surgery procedure, rising 39 percent to 34,117 procedures. Brow lifts increased 29 percent, neck lifts climbed 21 percent, eyelid surgery rose 19 percent and facelifts increased 13 percent.

"As patients shed fat, they enjoy the slimming in the body, but many are also noting unwanted muscle loss and lax skin, which has led to an increase in abdominoplasty (tummy tucks), brachioplasty (arm lifts) and thigh lifts," said Dr. Hamilton. "For the face, the hollowing that has been coined 'Ozempic face' has resulted in a surge in facial fat transfer to globally restore volume, especially for younger patients with still-excellent skin elasticity who are not yet desiring facelift surgery, although that surgery has also increased in popularity, especially in a slightly younger segment of the population. Fat has become a precious commodity, particularly for restoration of the face."

Plumping up after slimming down

Facial fat grafting deserves its own spotlight, because it is essentially the opposite of what most people picture when they think about plastic surgery. Instead of removing something, surgeons are restoring lost volume, often using the patient's own fat.

"The GLP-1 craze continues to change the landscape of plastic surgery," said Kelly Killeen, MD. "In my practice, I've seen an entire new population of patients. A larger percentage of patients are interested in addressing facial volume loss."

Facial rejuvenation is also increasingly requested alongside other procedures by patients recovering from rapid or significant weight loss.

"Augmentation patients commonly ask about arm and back lifts in combination with their augmentations," said Dr. Killeen. "Facial fat loss can be quite aging, and patients want a longer-lasting procedure and are moving away from fillers. A lot of patients I see have widespread laxity and are interested in skin tightening in many areas. The noninvasive and minimally invasive tightening technologies still leave a lot to be desired, so the surgical procedures are becoming more popular again. I'm also seeing patients with moderate laxity who want surgery, whereas in the past it was typically patients with major laxity. GLP-1s are here to stay, it seems, and I imagine they will start to craft their own corner of our specialty for years to come."

Importantly, the rise in facial fat grafting extended beyond patients who have used GLP-1 medications. When asked to identify the facial rejuvenation techniques they most commonly use, ASPS Member Surgeons first cited hyaluronic acid fillers at 69 percent, followed by autologous fat grafting at 49 percent. Fat grafting had been becoming an increasingly important tool before the recent surge in GLP-1-related consultations. For many surgeons, significant weight loss may have accelerated demand for an approach that was already gaining broader acceptance.

The takeaway: patients moving toward a whole-body approach

Perhaps the most interesting pattern in this year's data isn't any single number. It is the shape of the whole picture. Patients who have lost significant weight aren't asking only about the abdomen or only about the face. Many are looking to contour the arms, thighs, breasts and abdomen while also restoring facial volume, often within the same treatment plan.

It is a head-to-toe approach to feeling like yourself again after major weight loss rather than a search for a single fix. If you have lost weight and are noticing changes you didn't expect, whether that is loose skin, a deflated look in the face or simply not recognizing yourself in the mirror the way you hoped, you are describing something surgeons are hearing constantly right now.

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.