Bochum – October 29, 2026 -- People who lose 30, 40 or 60 kilograms on GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide often keep loose skin that does not retract on its own. A Bochum surgeon says some of these cases count as medical treatment rather than a cosmetic wish.
Germany sees about 1.5 million semaglutide packs prescribed a year
Roughly 1.5 million packs of semaglutide are prescribed annually in Germany, and the number is rising. Plastic surgery increasingly calls the resulting skin problem "Ozempic body." The phenomenon itself is not new. What has changed is the speed at which it reaches the general population through widely available weight-loss medication.
Dr. Hamid Joneidi Jafari says skin loses its elasticity gradually
Dr. Hamid Joneidi Jafari, a specialist at the Ästhetik-Centrum am Husemannplatz in Bochum, sees the problem with growing frequency in his practice. He explains that in people who have been heavily overweight for a long time, the skin's elastic fibers gradually lose their ability to spring back. After rapid weight loss, the skin cannot recover without surgery. In his words, this is biology, not a question of willpower or skincare.
Chafing, inflammation or restricted movement can make surgery medically indicated
In consultations, Jafari separates cosmetic wishes from functional necessity. Skin flaps that chafe constantly, become inflamed or mechanically limit movement count as a functional impairment. In such cases, reconstructive surgery can be medically indicated.
The clinic's procedures include abdominoplasty, breast lifts, upper-arm and thigh lifts, and supplementary liposuction. Every operation requires a stable body weight for at least six to twelve months.