Over the past year, we’ve flagged the impact weight-loss drugs were having on many people’s facial volume and skin quality.
That focus is continuing to play a huge part in the future of beauty products and treatments arriving over the coming year.
So-called ‘Ozempic Face’ – a hollow and aged appearance – is continuing to have a huge impact on the skin and aesthetic world. With loss of volume throughout the mid-face and sagging from loss of elastin also a natural part of the aging process (though exacerbated by GLP-1 medications), a focus on restoring volume remains a hot topic whether you’re on these treatments or not.
“‘Ozempic face’ happens when fat compartments in the face shrink quickly, creating a tired or aged appearance,” says Dr Josh Wall, founder of Contour Clinics. He says his clinics across Sydney and Brisbane have observed a 50% increase in appointments related to facial volumisation with collagen stimulators over the past year.
“We see this weekly across our clinics, usually after the first couple of months of a weight-loss program,” he says. “The most common pattern is hollowing around the temples and midface, followed by sagging along the jawline.”
The clinic has even developed a specific protocol to restore lost volume and support the skin during these transformations. This focuses on collagen stimulating and skin tightening treatments initially but also highlights the need for balanced nutrition including adequate protein and other approaches such as good water intake and sun protection. Once tissues have rebuilt and weight loss has stabilised, the potential for volume restoration is considered.
Globally, injectable treatments such as fillers and biostimulators such as Profhilo are being highlighted for this job, although fat transfer also known as facial fat grafting is also being used by plastic surgeons in some places.
Improved volume is also seeing topical skincare ingredient Volufiline gain buzz online. The plant extract was first developed by a French company called Serderma back in 2013 but has been blowing up on social media in recent months, with new arrivals touting the ingredient’s use helping to restore lost volume.
Clinical data with proof of efficacy is limited but that didn’t stop The Ordinary’s running up a huge waitlist for its new Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1% facial serum before its recent launch.
The brand calls it a ‘targeted plumping serum’ to help visibly restore lost volume in key facial areas – like the under-eyes, temples, cheeks, and smile lines.
“Volufiline is the trade name for an oil-like solution rich in sarsasapogenin, a plant-derived phytosterol (cholesterol-like molecule) extracted from Anemarrhena asphodeloides,” explains Bushra Yusuf, Associate Manager, Scientific Communications for The Ordinary.
“Unlike water-binding hydrators such as hyaluronic acid, which plump by drawing moisture to the skin’s surface, sarsasapogenin in Volufiline has been shown to influence the components responsible for skin’s natural plumpness,” says Yusuf. “Its aim is to give a softer and visually more volumised look, especially in areas where structural support visibly diminishes with age.”
To maintain results you need to continue using it, says Yusuf.
It’s likely the popularity of this ingredient is just the beginning of another wave focused on volumising facial contours without resorting to needles. Similar ‘Botox in a bottle’ claims are also being seen in peptide-based skincare that claims to smooth skin by minimising expression lines.
