‘Ozempic Vulva’ Is Real—Doctors Explain the Surprising Side Effect No One Talks About
Plus see the newest treatments shown to ease symptoms
You already know that rapid weight loss brought on by GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic, can lead to excess skin—especially in the upper arms, stomach, thighs and face. But you may be surprised to learn that rapidly shedding unwanted pounds can also affect the vaginal area. In fact, “Ozempic vulva” is the unofficial term used to describe loose skin in the labia and vulva. Here, everything you need to know about how to prevent and treat this increasingly common condition.
What causes Ozempic vulva?
It’s important to note that this is not a true medical diagnosis, but rather an informal term for skin laxity in the vaginal area, confirms gynecologist Sherry Ross, MD, author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period, as well as co-founder of Oneself, Intimate Skin Care and the Pair-a-Docs podcast.
“Rapid weight loss not only can lead to loose skin but can also cause muscle loss,” she reveals. “All areas of the body—including the lower belly, pubic mons [fatty tissue above the pubic bone], inner and outer labia and buttock area—are visibly affected by significant weight loss. Whether it’s Ozempic vulva or Ozempic face, these effects reveal what happens when the skin is no longer supported by the fatty ‘underbelly.’”
Woman's World Answers
Indeed, whenever someone loses a lot of weight, “be it through gastric bypass surgery or by taking GLP-1 medications, they go into a metabolic state where the body just breaks everything down, due to a calorie deficit,” adds Michael M. Tahery, MD, Pelvic Surgeon and Urogynecologist in private practice at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
“When people go into this metabolic state, the body ‘cannibalizes’ muscle mass in order to find energy somewhere—that’s why tone in the pelvic floor also decreases,” he explains.
The main symptoms of Ozempic vulva
In addition to loose skin, what are a few other signs of this condition? Dr. Ross reveals more symptoms you may experience:
- Vaginal dryness
- Loss of vaginal sensation and sensitivity
- Urinary incontinence
- Discomfort during sex
When it comes to urinary incontinence, however, there’s one important caveat: “A big study [in The New England Journal of Medicine] showed that losing about 15 percent of body weight, leads to a 50 percent reduction in urinary incontinence,” reveals Dr. Tahery. “Even though that’s true, more people ended up having stress incontinence—urinary leakage when they laugh, cough, sneeze or jump—because of the weakness in the pelvic floor.”
How to prevent Ozempic vulva
If you’ve begun your weight-loss journey, Dr. Tahery recommends taking the slow-and-steady approach to help avoid Ozempic vulva. “With all GLP-1 medications, try to gradually increase the dosage,” he urges. “Losing weight slowly, not only reveals how well people tolerate the medication, it also means side effects are less likely to occur.”
He adds that eating plenty of protein—from healthy sources like lean meat, lentils, seafood, eggs, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese—as well as doing a bit of resistance training can help preserve muscle mass throughout the body, including in the pelvic floor, decreasing the likelihood of lax skin.
The most effective treatments for this condition
From topical creams to surgical procedures, Dr. Tahery breaks down the remedies proven to ease the biggest symptoms associated with Ozempic vulva:
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)
“For women in perimenopause who have vaginal dryness or thinning of the skin, we often give them estrogen replacement therapy,” he reveals. Though it’s important to note this treatment doesn’t help with sagging skin in the vaginal area.
Pelvic floor exercises
“I send some patients to physical therapy, to learn how to engage their pelvic floor muscles appropriately and get the guidance they need to do these exercises,” says Dr. Tahery. Indeed, strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor is one of the best ways to help mitigate stress incontinence.
Topical vaginal creams
Vaginal creams containing hyaluronic acid work really well and are very safe, he assures. “They have significant benefits in terms of increasing blood flow, lubricating and thickening the vaginal tissue.”
Labiaplasty
This surgical procedure can be done under local anesthesia to change the appearance of the labia minora and labia majora, he reveals. “There are also laser surgery and radio frequency procedures we can do if there isn’t significant prolapse [displacement of tissues in the vaginal area].”
The bottom line: Ozempic vulva is more treatable than you think
As more of us take GLP-1 medications, conditions like Ozempic vulva are becoming demystified, which is a great thing, notes Dr. Tahery. “Friends of mine on Ozempic, will come up to me and say, this is happening to me—is this real?” he reveals. “This is something that is so common, but a lot of people haven’t been talking about it until recently. The good news is, there are a lot of different [treatments] and options out there for women.”
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