Semaglutide weight loss: treating the saggy skin and muscle loss left behind

Healthy eating is a big part of non-invasive body contouring. And so is weight loss.  Here’s why.  Body contouring treatments reduce fat and sculpt the body, but so many of our patients want to sculpt AND to reduce fat overall…in other words, they want to lose weight too.  And now we have the new weight loss drugs like semaglutide making weight loss easier than ever.  The problem is they work so well that they lead to both significant and very rapid weight loss.  Why is that a problem?  It’s because when the body loses so much size so quickly, the skin has trouble keeping up. We’ve been offering these injections as part of our med spa medical weight loss program for some time now.  We understand that many of you will not offer these medications, but as beauty, health and body contouring professionals, it's crucial to understand the mechanisms of these medications and their consequences to both skin and lean muscle mass.  That way you can be prepared to offer the best solutions to help them when they ask you for help with saggy skin - and muscle volume loss. So in today’s episode, we’re giving you the whole story on these new weight loss injections and exactly how they impact the patient, plus the best therapies you can use to help them.  This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

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You’re listening to The Body Contouring Academy’s Proven Profits Podcast 

where you’ll learn simple actionable strategies from real world successful body contouring professionals to help you generate more revenue, realize the profits you want and create the life you desire. 

Hi I’m Shannon and I’m Kay and we’re your hosts of The Proven Profits Podcast

Hi there healthcare professionals and business owners!  Body contouring and beauty professionals too!  All of you!  Kay here. Shannon and I thank you for being here too. 

Why are we talking about prescription medication today?  After all, Semagludtide and semaglutide-like drugs are restricted to use by medical providers.  Well the thing is whether you use semaglutide in your practice or not, you need to educate yourself.  Patients who have used it will call on you for help.  Guys, this is a brand new group of patients - a whole new market - with a need for skin tightening treatments and also treatments to help them restore muscle.  It is absolutely crucial for you to be prepared to meet the needs of these patients.  Let’s dive in.

What are the new weight loss drugs?

As of today, there are three medications used for medical weight loss which have already actually been linked to saggy skin.  You’ve probably heard a lot of chatter about so-called Ozempic butt on social media platforms.  

Remember, each of these medications require a physician to prescribe them.    

The two new weight loss drugs that are most commonly used for weight loss are

Ozempic®, which has FDA approval to treat type 2 diabetes; and

Wegovy®, which FDA approved for the treatment of overweight and obesity. 

Semaglutide is the generic name for the active ingredient in both Ozempic® and Wegovy®.

And there’s a third medication is also being used for weight loss and that’s

Mounjaro® , which has FDA approval to treat type 2 diabetes.

Tirzepatide is the generic name for Mounjaro® ; it is very similar to semaglutide.

There are no available oral forms for these meds at this time.  All three of these drugs are injected subcutaneously on a weekly basis…in most cases the patient injects herself after instruction by the medical providers. 

How do these new weight loss drugs work?

This class of meds started out as drugs for diabetes - they were found to produce weight loss as a side effect - and are now being used specifically for weight loss too.

They belong to a class of meds known as GLP-1 agonists which mimic the actions of a gut hormone called GLP-1. 

GLP-1 lowers the appetite because it slows the movement of food through the digestive system. GLP-1 is found in the body that is naturally released after eating to create a feeling of fullness.

These GLP-1 agonist medications also stimulate insulin release from the pancreas which increase metabolism. 

Tirzepatide, the generic name for the active ingredient in Mounjaro® - also a GLP-1 agonist, works in much the same way as semaglutide. 

Who can prescribe weight loss injections?

All three of these medications are prescription drugs, meaning that a physician must prescribe the medication/treatment.  

The medical weight loss program at our medspa offers the inclusion of semaglutide. Most patients opt for the meds. In fact, the inclusion of the drugs is a huge driver of the program. By now, nearly everyone has some kind of awareness of the meds. Our physician and nursing personnel manage the initial prescription education as well as the follow-up care for our medical weight loss patients.

But here’s the big question.  Do the new weight loss drugs cause saggy skin, i.e. ‘Ozempic butt’?

The answer is yes…in some people. 

But in reality, any substantial weight loss, especially when it occurs rapidly as it does with these medications, can lead to loose skin.

Any part of the body can be affected, but most loose skin complaints are about the arms, thighs, abdomen and hips/buttocks.

And the question that most people are not talking about…yet.  Do the new weight loss injections cause a loss of lean muscle too?

Yes.  Experts have already found that semaglutide does lead to a decrease in muscle mass.  

We’ll dive deeper into muscle mass loss in a bit.

Because we first need to discuss risk factors.  

After being stretched the skin has the ability to return to its shape and size over time; we refer to this as skin elasticity. Some patients will develop loose skin with rapid weight loss.

You can predict those who are at high risk.  Here are the risk factors that put patients at a higher risk of saggy skin with rapid weight loss

Age is a big risk factor; as your patient gets older her skin elasticity decreases.

The higher amount of weight lost increases the likelihood of loose skin complaints.

And the patient is at a higher risk If the extra weight has been present for a long time.

Sun (UV) damage decreases skin elasticity and raises the risk of loose skin with rapid weight loss.

Poor lifestyle choices regarding nutrition, sleep, hydration and exercise weaken the skin and put the patient at a higher risk of developing saggy skin.    

So now let’s look more closely at the saggy skin and muscle breakdown that occurs with rapid weight loss.  

The fact is…rapid weight loss damages collagen cells and elastin cells

It’s pretty well established and backed up by clinical studies that the skin is damaged by rapid weight loss.  The rapid loss of volume and reshaping actually causes the destruction of collagen and elastin cell networks.

Here is a breakdown of how it happens

First, as you probably already know, skin is made up of two important proteins, collagen and elastin.

These two proteins are what gives the skin its elasticity, strength and firm appearance.Its bounceback and tone.

Its the fibers in the collagen and the elastin that give the skin the ability to stretch in normal periods of growth and rapid weight gain and changes in body shape, i.e. pregnancy or puberty.

But when significant weight loss occurs very rapidly, the collagen and elastin cannot return to their pre-weight gain status, leading to loose, saggy skin.

And as discussed earlier, the loose skin condition is worse in patients with those risk factors, the conditions that led to pre-rapid weight loss damage to their collagen and elastin fibers, i.e. aging process, sun damage, etc.  

Now let’s look at these weight loss patient’s lean muscle mass

There’s been a lot of emphasis on saggy skin, but very little social media chatter about muscle mass loss

And the loss of muscle mass has so many other implications

Did you know that 40% of the pounds from semaglutide and semaglutide like meds is a loss of muscle mass loss?  Some studies are showing as much as 50% of the pounds lost are lost muscle.  

This is a subject that would take an entire podcast episode to discuss, but let’s just say this.  Muscle is what burns the majority of energy.  So think about that when your patients report  losing 40 pounds - 18-20 pounds of that weight loss is not fat loss, it’s muscle loss.  And no one wants to lose muscle.

So let’s breakdown how and why this extremely high rate of muscle loss happens

When the patient’s body isn’t getting enough energy from food, her body will pull energy from fat reserves…first.  

But when the patient is losing a significant amount of weight very quickly (about three to four or more pounds per week but it does depend on the patient), her body will then need to pull the energy it needs from the muscles. 

So the more weight a patient loses in a short period of time, the more muscle mass she will lose in addition to the fat. 

That’s why you’ve always heard expert advice about losing weight slowly and steadily.  That’s how you know you’re losing fat and not muscle.

So you’ve heard that these new weight loss drugs are indeed super performers in terms of losing pounds.  You can understand the popularity.  That’s the pretty side.

But there’s the ugly side.  And that’s the damage to the skin and the loss of muscle mass. 

Luckily, non-invasive body contouring has much to offer to help with these unfortunate side effects.  So next, we’ll give you the information you need to help reverse the damage.  

We’ll discuss technologies to address both issues: skin tightening and muscle toning.

Starting with loose skin.

As with any body issue, some patients are bothered by loose skin…and others are not

Not all patients are distressed with saggy skin from rapid weight loss.  These patients are so happy with the weight loss, that the loose skin does not bother them.  

But for other patients, the loose skin causes major distress.  Thus, the increased demand for skin tightening.

With these weight loss drug body conditions, exercise and home skin care remedies are not going to be enough 

⇒ Home care alone will not suffice.  

⇒ Treatments are required to improve the loose skin created by rapid weight loss.  

⇒ Body contouring professionals can choose from many treatment options for these patients.  

And…

Radio frequency (RF) is the gold standard technology for the treatment of loose skin.

Fortunately, we have many RF machines to address loose skin 

Level I Medical Grade single technology machines (if you are a physician or medspa) 

Ex: TempSure, Thermage FLX RF, LipoCel 

Level III Entry Level combination technology machines (for both non-medical and medical providers)

Ex:  6 in 1 Cavitation machine with RF and Vacuum/LED 

It’s estimated that as many as 70 - 90 percent of the adult population suffers from some form of skin laxity, and add to that the increased number of weight loss injection patients…and you have an incredible demand for skin tightening.  

So what exactly are Radio frequency (RF) treatments?

It’s basically using heat to damaged skin cells so that whe they repair, they return 100% healthy, not damaged.  But more scientifically, Radio frequency (RF) technology utilizes wavelengths of heat energy to produce a specific measure of heating to the skin.  When applied to the skin, this controlled heating prompts the body to produce new and improved collagen and elastin cells to replace the damaged cells.  

And the basics to perform Radio frequency (RF) treatments

We recommend that you start with a series of 6 to 8 treatments. 

Schedule treatments weekly or 2 times per week, but the treatments should not be spaced closer than 72 hours apart.

Each treatment yields subtle improvement and builds upon the progress from the previous treatment.

PRO TIP:  When predicting the number of treatments needed, refer to the risk factors that we discussed earlier, as these risk factors also predict time of response to treatments and how long it will take to see the improvement the patient wants.  

Are you already certified in Radio frequency (RF) Skin Tightening or do you need certification?

At the Body Contouring Academy, we believe that skin tightening is a treatment that every body contouring professional should offer. 

 Skin tightening treatments treatments are 

Affordable

Highly effective 

Have the ability to treat loose skin located just about anywhere on the body

And do not involve downtime, discomfort or significant side effects

Skin tightening treatments are also in high demand and very profitable!

So…we authored a course for 

Radiofrequency (RF) Skin Tightening Certification 

(The Body Contouring 6 in 1 Masterclass) 

A

Multi-Technology Combination

Skin Tightening + Fat Reduction 

Body Contouring Certification Course

This skin tightening body contouring certification course teaches RF skin tightening, and gives you several bonus benefits:

After completing this skin tightening certification course, you can start performing 

Skin tightening treatments 

PLUS!

Fat reduction treatments  

Cellulite smoothing treatments  

Stretch mark reduction treatments  

All in just one body contouring certification course.

We’ll leave a link to the skin tightening course, the 6in1 course in our show notes.  You can use that link to get the course details.  

That’s skin tightening.  Let’s move on to  

Muscle Stimulation Treatments:

To help patients build back that muscle mass lost they during rapid weight loss

Electromagnetic muscle stimulation is the affordable gold standard technology to improve muscle mass.

Several machines are available to increase muscle tone and assist to build muscle mass.

Level I Medical Grade muscle toning machines  (if you are a physician or medspa) 

Ex:  Emsculpt, CoolTone, TruSculpt Flex  

Level III Entry Level machines (for both non-medical and medical providers)

Ex:  Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) machine  

What are Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) muscle toning treatments?

Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS), involves the induction of muscle fiber contractions using electrical impulses. 

The contractions are stimulated via electrode pads that adhere to the skin.  

It can recruit more muscle fibers and cause much more and substantially deeper muscle contractions than can a workout. 

Building back the muscle mass lost during rapid weight loss.

How to perform Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) treatments

Electrodes are placed on the muscle group to induce muscle fiber contractions using electrical impulses. 

The treatments are administered weekly and can be done biweekly as long as the treatments are no closer than 72 hours apart.

How about Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) treatments?  Are you certified or do you need certification?

Well as you might guess, Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is another technology that we think every body contouring provider should offer.  Even before the problem caused by rapid weight loss, it’s one of the six most popular body contouring treatments.

And that’s a big reason why we authored an Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) body contouring certification course…

Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Course for Body Contouring 

So if you want to get certified in EMS or you just want to learn more, check out the link to the course in our show notes.  

Next, we move on to a treatment that will address both issues.  Now we don’t recommend this treatment as a sole remedy for these problems, but we wholeheartedly recommend this treatment to accelerate and enhance your skin tightening and/or muscle toning treatments.  

Before you heard this podcast episode, Did you know there is a technology that provides support and enhancement for BOTH Radio frequency (RF) and Muscle Stimulation technologies?

Level III Whole Body Vibration Therapy (for both non-medical and medical providers)

What is Whole Body Vibration Therapy?

Whole Body Vibration Therapy is a body contouring therapy that utilizes passive exercise to cause intense, yet comfortable, muscle contractions leading to increased blood circulation and lymphatic circulation and causing muscle contractions. 

The increased circulation improves skin cells and the muscle contractions lead to stronger muscles. 

How to perform Whole Body Vibration Therapy

The patient stands on the Vibration Platform.

A typical program or ‘treatment’ on the vibration platform runs a short ten minutes.  

You will not need to book a treatment room for a vibration therapy session because you may place the vibration machine anywhere in your business. 

The patient may safely do sessions every day.   

Chances are you’re not yet certified in Whole Body Vibration Therapy…but we change that 

We absolutely love Vibration Therapy.  Because Not only does Vibration Therapy enhance body contouring treatments like Radio frequency (RF) SkinTightening and Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS), it is an incredible tool to build your business too! 

And we share how we use Vibration Therapy as a business builder tool in our medspa as well as a treatment enhancer -  in our Vibration Therapy Body Contouring Certification course… 

It’s one of our secrets…

So check out the 

Whole Body Vibration Therapy Online Body Sculpting Course

We have left a link to the course in today’s show notes.

The rise of new weight loss injections has revolutionized the weight loss landscape, providing effective solutions but also introducing challenges such as saggy skin and muscle breakdown. As body contouring professionals, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared to meet the increasing demand for skin tightening treatments.

The new weight loss drugs, including Ozempic® (semaglutide), Wegoby® (semaglutide), and Mounjaro® (tirzepatide), have demonstrated remarkable weight loss results. However, the rapid pace of weight loss can lead to saggy skin and muscle loss, prompting a surge in demand for skin tightening procedures.

To sum it up…

Understanding the mechanisms of these medications, the risk factors for developing saggy skin, and the impact on muscle mass is essential for providing comprehensive care. Rapid weight loss can damage collagen and elastin cells, leading to loose, saggy skin and unfortunately a significant portion of weight loss, 40% or more, may result from muscle mass loss.

We've highlighted two key technologies to address both loose skin and muscle toning: Radio frequency (RF) Skin Tightening and Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS). These non-invasive treatments offer a range of benefits, including affordability, effectiveness, and the ability to target various body areas.

At the Body Contouring Academy, we believe in empowering healthcare, aesthetic and body contouring business owners and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.

Our Skin Tightening Certification Course (The 6in1 Masterclass) covers RF technology comprehensively, providing practitioners with the expertise to perform skin tightening, fat reduction, cellulite smoothing, and stretch mark reduction treatments.

Our Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Course equips you with the tools to help patients rebuild muscle mass lost during rapid weight loss.

And to enhance the effectiveness of these treatments, we've introduced Whole Body Vibration Therapy as a treatment enhancer, plus an amazing business-building tool.

It’s exciting when brand new body treatment options are released and we really enjoyed sharing the basics about the new semaglutide-like weight loss drugs with you.  And helping you prepare to help these patients.  

But that’s it for today.  Until next time, Beautiful Wishes

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And, if you’d like to learn more about our courses and resources, you can get ALL the scoop by visiting our website,  bodycontouringacademy.com, that’s bodycontouringacademy.com.  

Thank you so much for listening.  As always, have a great rest of your day!  And until next time, Beautiful wishes!