Beauty Blog

Ozempic® was the first player to the game in 2017. It is the first trade name for semaglutide and was brought onto the market for the treatment of type 2 diabetes by a Danish company called Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide mimics a naturally occurring peptide, GLP(glucagon-like peptide)-1, which is secreted by our gut when we eat. NovoNordisk learned over the years that patients on Ozempic® were also losing weight (throw me in that briar patch!). So, since they are better businesspeople than us, they then re-marketed semaglutide as Wegovy® which got approval in 2021 for weight loss. Americans heard about this miracle medication and jumped onboard as quickly as possible. So quickly, in fact, that Novo Nordisk could not keep up with the demand. As a result, the FDA issued a very rare emergency order that semaglutide could be created generically, by compounding pharmacies, until if/when Novo Nordisk is able to catch up. Good news for us--not so much for Novo Nordisk. This is how we are able to now get semaglutide (relatively) inexpensively and don't have to bother with insurance companies (hooray!).

Mounjaro® is the trade name for tirzepatide. Mounjaro® was approved for the treatment of type 2diabetes in 2022. Tirzepatide mimics two of our bodies' peptides: GLP-1 and another hormone, GIP (gastric inhibitory peptide), both of which are normally secreted when we eat. Tirzepatide is has not yet been FDA-approved for weight loss, so its use for such is considered off-label. The vast majority of what we do in cosmetic medicine is off-label. (Injecting Dysport® in the neck bands(platysma) is off-label, but it works great!)

Both medications can work great. Much is dependent upon each person's unique situation. So, come in for a chat and an evaluation and we'll figure out the best plan specifically tailored to you!