Wegovy in Aesthetic Medicine: Key Considerations for Weight Loss

Doris Dickson Weight Loss July 1, 2025

The health and wellness field is changing fast, and Wegovy (semaglutide) is at the forefront, revolutionizing weight management. As aesthetic practitioners, you’re now seeing more patients undergoing dramatic weight loss—many of them supported by this breakthrough medication. While Wegovy was once the domain of primary care, it’s now essential knowledge for your practice, too.

This article breaks down Wegovy in clear, practical terms: how it works, what results to expect, and—most importantly—how it impacts your aesthetic treatments. With this insight, you’ll be better prepared to guide patients and refine your services in this new era of medical weight loss.

Key Takeaways

Mechanism of Action: Wegovy is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics a natural hormone, regulating appetite, slowing gastric emptying, and leading to significant weight loss.
Target Audience: Primarily indicated for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Expected Outcomes: Patients can achieve average weight loss of approximately 15% of their body weight, along with improvements in weight-related health conditions.
Common Side Effects: Gastrointestinal issues (nausea, constipation, diarrhea) are common, but aesthetic professionals should be aware of potential facial and body volume loss leading to skin laxity.
Aesthetic Implications: Significant weight loss creates both challenges (e.g., increased skin laxity, volume depletion) and opportunities (e.g., demand for facial fillers, skin tightening, body contouring) for aesthetic practices.
Patient Conversations: Be prepared for patients to inquire about or discuss their Wegovy use, requiring a nuanced understanding of its effects to provide optimal aesthetic counseling.

What is Wegovy & How Does It Work?

Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It’s administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. While its primary indication is chronic weight management, semaglutide has been used at lower doses for type 2 diabetes (known as Ozempic or Rybelsus).

In simple terms, Wegovy works by mimicking the effects of a natural hormone called GLP-1, which is released by the gut in response to food intake. Here’s how it impacts the body:

Appetite Regulation: It acts on the brain’s appetite centers, leading to reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness (satiety).
Gastric Emptying: It slows down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, further contributing to prolonged satiety.
Blood Sugar Control: While not its primary mechanism for weight loss, it also stimulates insulin release and suppresses glucagon release in a glucose-dependent manner, helping to stabilize blood sugar, which can indirectly influence appetite.

The cumulative effect of these actions is a significant reduction in calorie intake, leading to substantial and sustained weight loss.

Who is Wegovy For?

Wegovy is indicated for adults with obesity (defined as a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of 30 kg/m² or greater), or those who are overweight (BMI of 27 kg/m² or greater) and have at least one weight-related comorbidity such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. It is prescribed as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

It’s crucial to remember that Wegovy is a prescription medication and should only be used under the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider who can assess patient suitability, monitor progress, and manage potential side effects.

Expected Outcomes: Weight Loss & Beyond

Clinical trials have demonstrated remarkable efficacy for Wegovy. Participants typically achieve an average weight loss of approximately 15% of their initial body weight over 68 weeks. This is a significantly higher percentage than what is often seen with other non-surgical weight loss interventions.

Beyond the numbers on the scale, patients often experience improvements in various weight-related health parameters, including:

Reduced blood pressure
Improved cholesterol levels
Better blood sugar control
Enhanced mobility and quality of life

These systemic health benefits are a key reason why Wegovy is considered a “game changer” by many medical professionals.

Understanding the Side Effects (Relevant to Your Practice)

While effective, Wegovy does come with a profile of potential side effects. The most commonly reported are gastrointestinal in nature:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Constipation
Abdominal pain

These are typically managed by slow dose escalation and often subside over time. However, as an aesthetic professional, your focus might shift to the visible, aesthetic changes that can occur with rapid or significant weight loss.

Patients who lose a substantial amount of weight, whether through diet, bariatric surgery, or medications like Wegovy, often experience:

Facial Volume Loss: As fat is lost from the face, patients may notice a more gaunt appearance, increased hollowing in the temples, under the eyes, and in the cheeks. This can lead to an exacerbated appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Skin Laxity: With the reduction in underlying fat volume, the skin may not retract fully, leading to increased laxity or sagging, particularly in the lower face (jowls), neck, décolletage, and various body areas (arms, abdomen, thighs).

These are critical points of discussion for your aesthetic consultations.

Patient Conversations: What to Expect in Your Consult Room

As Wegovy’s popularity grows, it’s increasingly likely that your aesthetic patients will be taking or considering this medication. Here’s what you might encounter:

Direct Inquiries: Patients may ask how weight loss from Wegovy will affect their planned aesthetic treatments, or what aesthetic options exist for the changes they’re seeing.
Unstated Changes: Some patients might not explicitly mention Wegovy, but you’ll observe significant weight loss that prompts new aesthetic concerns (e.g., “My face looks older,” or “My skin is suddenly saggy”).
Realistic Expectations: Patients may have high expectations for a “total transformation” from weight loss alone, not realizing the need for aesthetic interventions to address skin laxity or volume deficits.

Being informed about Wegovy allows you to confidently engage in these conversations, offer educated advice, and plan appropriate treatments.

The Aesthetic Implications: New Challenges, New Opportunities

The rise of effective weight loss medications like Wegovy presents a dual landscape for aesthetic practices: challenges in managing certain outcomes, but immense opportunities in addressing new patient needs.

Addressing Volume Loss

For patients experiencing facial volume depletion due to weight loss, dermal fillers become an even more crucial tool. Strategic placement in areas like the mid-face, temples, and jawline can restore a more youthful, refreshed contour. Understanding that this volume loss is a direct consequence of medical weight loss, rather than just aging, helps in tailoring the consultation and treatment plan.

Managing Skin Laxity

The challenge of excess skin and laxity after significant weight loss is pronounced. Your clinic can become a vital resource for these patients through:

Non-Invasive Skin Tightening: Technologies like radiofrequency (RF), ultrasound (e.g., Ultherapy), and other energy-based devices can help improve mild to moderate skin laxity on the face, neck, and body.
Body Contouring: For more significant laxity or stubborn fat pockets, procedures like liposuction (for residual localized fat), or even referrals for surgical options like tummy tucks, arm lifts, or thigh lifts become highly relevant.

The “Post-Weight Loss” Patient as a New Demographic

This group of patients, having invested in their health through weight loss, often have disposable income and are highly motivated to refine their appearance. They are often committed to a holistic wellness journey, making them ideal candidates for ongoing aesthetic maintenance and complementary treatments.

Embracing a collaborative approach – understanding when to refer back to a bariatric specialist, endocrinologist, or nutritionist, and when to provide aesthetic solutions – positions your practice as a comprehensive partner in your patients’ health and beauty journeys.

Conclusion

Wegovy isn’t just transforming obesity treatment—it’s reshaping aesthetic medicine. By understanding how it works, who’s using it, and the aesthetic effects of rapid weight loss, you can fine-tune your approach, improve outcomes, and offer more informed advice.

At Health Supplies Plus, we’re here to support you with expert knowledge and premium products, from trusted dermal fillers to essential practice supplies, so you can confidently meet the evolving needs of patients on their wellness journeys.

Wegovy FAQs

1. What is Wegovy and how does it differ from other semaglutide products like Ozempic?

Wegovy is a brand name for semaglutide, specifically approved by the FDA for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or who are overweight with comorbidities. While Ozempic also contains semaglutide, it’s primarily indicated for type 2 diabetes management at lower doses. The key difference lies in their approved indications and the higher dosage of semaglutide in Wegovy.

2. How does Wegovy (semaglutide) primarily facilitate significant weight loss?

Wegovy works by mimicking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a natural hormone. This action helps regulate appetite by signaling fullness to the brain, slowing gastric emptying (making patients feel full longer), and stabilizing blood sugar. Together, these effects lead to reduced caloric intake and significant weight loss.

3. What average weight loss can patients typically expect while on Wegovy?

Clinical trials have shown that patients on Wegovy can achieve an average weight loss of approximately 15% of their initial body weight over about 68 weeks, a notably higher percentage compared to many other non-surgical weight management interventions.

4. What are the most common side effects of Wegovy that my aesthetic patients might report?

The most frequently reported side effects are gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. These are typically managed by slow dose escalation. From an aesthetic perspective, significant and sometimes rapid weight loss can lead to visible changes like facial volume loss and increased skin laxity.

5. Is “Wegovy Face” a real aesthetic phenomenon, and what causes it?

Yes, the term “Wegovy Face” (or “Ozempic Face”) refers to the noticeable facial volume loss and increased skin laxity that can occur with rapid or significant weight reduction from medications like Wegovy. It’s caused by the reduction of fat pads in the face, which previously provided structural support, leading to a more gaunt appearance and exacerbated wrinkles.

6. How does significant weight loss from Wegovy impact the skin’s overall laxity on the face and body?

When a substantial amount of subcutaneous fat is lost, the skin, especially in older patients or those with less elasticity, may not fully retract. This leads to increased skin laxity or sagging, prominently visible in areas like the lower face (jowls), neck, décolletage, upper arms, abdomen, and thighs.

7. What key considerations should I have when planning aesthetic treatments (e.g., fillers, injectables) for patients taking Wegovy?

Consider discussing the patient’s current weight loss trajectory and future goals. For volume loss, dermal fillers can be highly effective. For skin laxity, non-invasive tightening technologies or surgical referrals might be appropriate. Realistic expectation management is crucial, as is understanding that their facial anatomy might continue to change with ongoing weight loss.

8. Should I advise patients to delay certain aesthetic procedures until they reach their target weight on Wegovy?

For procedures directly impacted by fat volume (e.g., facial fillers for overall volume, some body contouring), it’s often advisable to wait until a patient has reached a stable weight, or is close to their target. This ensures more predictable and lasting aesthetic outcomes, preventing the need for frequent adjustments as their body continues to change.

9. How can my aesthetic practice effectively counsel patients about potential aesthetic changes from Wegovy-induced weight loss?

Engage in open, empathetic dialogue. Acknowledge their health achievement while gently educating them on the natural aesthetic consequences of significant fat loss, particularly regarding facial volume and skin laxity. Position aesthetic treatments as complementary solutions to help them achieve their desired overall appearance and confidence post-weight loss.

10. Are there specific aesthetic treatments that are particularly well-suited for patients who have achieved significant weight loss with Wegovy?

Yes. Facial dermal fillers are excellent for restoring lost volume in areas like the cheeks, temples, and under-eyes. Non-invasive skin tightening technologies (e.g., RF, ultrasound) can address mild to moderate laxity. For more pronounced skin excess, patients may be candidates for surgical body contouring procedures like abdominoplasty, brachioplasty, or thigh lifts.

Doris Dickson

About the Author: Doris Dickson is a specialist writer for Health Supplies Plus, focusing on the aesthetic medicine industry. She diligently researches cosmetic treatments and products to provide clear, concise information relevant to licensed medical professionals. Her work supports Health Supplies Plus’s commitment to being a reliable informational resource and trusted supplier for the aesthetic community.

Disclaimer: The content provided in this article is intended for informational purposes only and is directed towards licensed medical professionals. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does it constitute an endorsement of any specific product or technique. Practitioners must rely on their own professional judgment, clinical experience, and knowledge of patient needs, and should always consult the full product prescribing information and relevant clinical guidelines before use. Health Supplies Plus does not provide medical advice.