How Ozempic created a new marketing opportunity for skin clinics

Demand for GLP-1 drugs is soaring as Australians turn to the newly approved products, Wegovy and Ozempic, designed to treat diabetes and obesity – but it also has the potential to create a large market for fillers.

After watching how demand for GLP-1 drugs played out in the US market and the discourse that followed online around some of the physical side effects, Australian clinics are already anticipating increased demand for injectables.

The filler fix

Treatments such as cheek fillers and wrinkle relaxers have seen a huge surge in popularity as Aussies look to treat what some have started calling “Ozempic face”, according to Dr Vivek Eranki, CEO of Cosmetique, an Australia-wide brand of beauty, injectables and laser hair removal clinics.

“Significant weight loss can alter the natural contours of the face, making cheekbones, jawlines and other facial features more pronounced but often in an undesired way,” Dr Eranki said.

“Ozempic face syndrome describes the noticeable changes in facial appearance due to significant weight loss. This often results in a gaunt or hollow look, making individuals appear older than their actual age,” he added.

McKinsey & Co noted in its report on the medical aesthetics market that while some consumers have been experiencing “filler fatigue”, retail providers can cater to the expanding demographic considering the mixed effects of GLP-1 agonists.

According to Dr Eranki, patients view cheek fillers as the ideal solution, and Australian clinics, including Cosmetique, are ready to fix “Ozempic face” with injectables.

“Cheek filler is an instant fix for this as it reintroduces volume and gives the face a renewed glow and freshness,” explained Dr Eranki.

The new standard

The next frontier of the beauty industry is shaping up to be in pureplay dermatology, and more specifically, injectables.

Injectables are on the rise and conglomerates that have historically profited off of fragrance, colour cosmetics and skincare are now looking to make investments in dermatological beauty.

In August, L’Oréal announced it acquired a 10 per cent stake in Galderma, the pureplay dermatology leader in injectables with Botox-competitor Dysport, and Restylane filler brands. 

“It allows us to explore partnering in the fast-growing aesthetics market, a key adjacency to our own pure beauty play,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, L’Oréal CEO, in a statement.

L’Oréal’s dermatological beauty division has been the company’s leading growth sector since 2019, according to Forbes.

According to Galderma, by 2028, the aesthetics market is predicted to nearly double in value, reaching US$25.9 billion –  suggesting that we are far from reaching peak filler and “Ozempic face” is just the next trend prompting consumers to convert to dermatological beauty.

“Beauty today is for every age, at any age. We are cancelling expectations of what certain ages ‘should look like’, as consumers employ aesthetics to express their ageless attitude,” stated Galderma’s 2024 Next report.

“This trend shows how the evolving desire to not be defined by our age is increasing demand to preserve and enhance beauty, rather than solely reverse ageing,” the report stated.

At one point in time, injectables may have seemed extreme but after more than 20 years, they have made their way into the mainstream and the industry is yet to reach peak filler.

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