Over the past few years at The Few Institute, something unexpected has been unfolding. Patients — many of whom I’ve treated for years — suddenly had dramatically different skin. There was a distinct and noticeable shift in the quality of the skin itself. It looked older. More fragile. Looser. Crepey.
Even patients with healthy habits and diligent skincare routines were affected.
The common thread? They were all on GLP-1 medications — drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
As a plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience, I’m trained to spot the tiniest nuances in skin texture and tone. But this wasn’t subtle. This was GLP Skin™ – a new pattern that is being overlooked.
What Is GLP Face™ and GLP Skin™?
I coined the terms GLP Face™ and GLP Skin™ to describe the distinct facial aging patterns I observed in patients using GLP-1 medications—similar in meaning to the colloquially known "Ozempic Face". While some degree of facial volume loss is normal with weight reduction, this went beyond typical weight loss effects.
What I was seeing wasn’t just sagging or hollowing, it was:
- Thinner, more delicate skin
- Loss of elasticity and resilience
- Accelerated surface aging
- A “worn-out rubber band” skin texture
These GLP Skin™ changes seemed to emerge rapidly — often within months — and weren’t limited to patients with dramatic weight loss. The skin was behaving as though it had aged a decade almost overnight.
Asking the Unasked Questions
Because I operate at the crossroads of plastic surgery, aesthetic medicine, and clinical skincare research, I’m in a unique position to track how treatments affect skin at a biological level.
So I started digging deeper:
- Could GLP-1 medications be interfering with collagen production?
- Were GLP-1 medications affecting the skin cells in an unknown way?
- Why were these changes going unnoticed — even by other physicians?
The truth is, most providers prescribing GLP-1s are focused on metabolic outcomes, not skin health. GLP Face™ was slipping through the cracks.
From Clinical Observation to Clinical Study
What began as a clinical hunch has evolved into a formal scientific study. At Dr. Few Skincare, At Drwe’ve invested in understanding how GLP-1s affect the skin at the cellular level — and more importantly, how to help counteract those changes with targeted skincare solutions.
This isn’t about discouraging the use of GLP-1 drugs. These medications are life-changing for many, and I support their role in improving overall health.
But if we’re going to help patients look as good as they feel, we need to address the potential skin-related side effects — and that’s exactly what we’re doing now.
What’s Next?
In my next post, I’ll take you deeper into the science of GLP Skin™ — how these medications impact the skin from the inside out, and what can be done to prevent and reverse GLP Face™.
If you’ve noticed changes in your skin since starting a GLP-1 medication, you’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone.
– Dr. Julius Few
