New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): Weight-loss injections have become a popular choice among young people preparing for weddings, but doctors have raised concerns over excessive loss of facial fat and muscle linked to these treatments.
According to Dr Ajaya Kashyap, Director of KasMed Centre and Senior Consultant in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery at Apollo Spectra Hospital, many young people are opting for such treatments while looking for prospective matches and ahead of their wedding day.
“Several young people seek weight-reducing treatments while looking for prospective matches and before the wedding day. There are surprisingly as many men as women. The current modality of choice for them is tirzepatide or semaglutide, sometimes couples with some targeted areas of liposuction,” he said.
Dr Kashyap also shared a case where further procedures were needed after significant weight loss.
“After a ‘weight loss drug treatment, ‘ a young lady, who is also in Healthcare, lost a lot of weight ( about 20% of her body weight) after several months of treatment, in preparation for her big day. However, the fat and muscle loss left her face looking gaunt and much older than thirty, which was her actual age. We ended up doing a skin tightening treatment with fat and stem cell injections to restore her youthful looks.”
He cautioned that while these drugs help in weight reduction, they can also lead to muscle loss and other side effects.
“There is undoubtedly a benefit of these drugs for weight loss, but one has to understand that there is a loss of muscle with this treatment, along with fat. We have had to treat several patients with Ozempic faces, where there has been excessive loss of facial fat and muscles. There are other side effects as well, and one needs to be careful before starting on this therapy,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, Dr Gaurang Krishna, Director and Consultant Dermatologist at MedLinks, said the demand for such drugs has increased in recent months, especially among those preparing for marriage.
“GLP-1 drugs have become very popular, patients are looking for it for tangible weight-loss, we do get requests for people before their 3-4months marriage to shed some kilos. It should be given under medical supervision,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahesh Mangal, Chairman of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said awareness about these drugs is largely driven by advertisements and promotions.
“These days medicine for weight loss are very much famous amongst people, and they come to us for more information. We do liposuction, that’s why we get such queries about whether they should take such medicines or not. We get queries about these drugs not only from patients but also from family members, friends and relatives. They get to know about these drugs only through advertisements and promotional activities. This is a wonder drug, but misuse and self medication is harmful. The govt of India has now come up with the regulations to avoid misuse and self-medication,” he said. (ANI)