The Beauty Standard with Dr. Roy Kim

This Week’s Beauty Standard - GLP-1 Makeovers, Celebrity Transparency & the New Aesthetics Economy - September 29, 2025 - What You Missed in Plastic Surgery

• Dr. Roy Kim

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How GLP-1 Injectables Are Changing Plastic Surgery: Insights with Dr. Roy Kim

In this episode of The Beauty Standard with Dr. Roy Kim, board-certified plastic surgeon, we explore the effects of GLP-1 weight loss injectables like Ozempic and Wegovy on body tissue, particularly focusing on the phenomenon of 'Ozempic Vulva.' We discuss the latest trends in celebrity transparency about procedures, younger patients reshaping aesthetic norms, and innovative clinical trials comparing breast implants to fat grafting. Dr. Kim offers practical advice on surgery timing, labia puffing, and post-weight loss procedures while emphasizing the importance of stable weight and personalized treatment plans. Tune in for expert insights and tips for achieving natural, durable results.

00:00 Introduction to the Beauty Standard
00:31 The Impact of GLP-1 on Weight Loss and Aesthetics
02:29 Understanding Labia Majora Aesthetics
03:02 Face Scars and Smarter Techniques After Weight Loss
04:01 Breast Augmentation: Implants vs. Fat Grafting
05:18 Celebrity Transparency and Its Impact
06:04 Trends Among Millennials and Gen Z in Aesthetics
06:44 The Importance of Calf Strength for Longevity
07:14 Rapid Fire FAQs
09:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Join us next week as we explore another fascinating topic in the world of beauty, and remember: your body, your choice, your standard!

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Beauty Standard with Dr. Roy Kim. Hi everyone, welcome back to The Beauty Standard with Dr. Roy Kim. Yes, this is Dr. Roy Kim, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and your host for The Beauty Standard. Today, we'll unpack the latest articles for the past week on GLP1 weight loss injectables, celebrity honesty, and how younger patients are reshaping the aesthetics landscape. Plus, an interesting level one clinical trial that changes how we talk about breast augmentation. So buckle up. First up, you've been amazing on your wellness plan, maybe with GLP1 injectables and other weight loss medications. But your cheeks may look a little deflated, your tummy skin feels a little loose, and that influencer you follow may have just admitted to microlipo and a secret scar routine. So today's episode is all about the new rules. What rapid weight loss really does to tissue, why celebrities are suddenly more transparent, and how smart planning gets you natural, durable results. First, the GLP1 era, what rapid weight loss really does to tissue. So this is from Forbes, where GLP1 medications like Ozempic slash Wigovi and Munjaro can really deliver fast, meaningful fat loss. But fat doesn't just melt from the abdomen, it vacates everywhere where fat lives. So we're talking the face, breasts, arms, thighs, and yes, sometimes even a sensitive area known as labia matura. The phenomenon in social media is nicknamed Ozempic vulva. Some women report visible deflation. In response, requests for labia puffing, which is basically HA filler or fat transfer, and in select cases, labioplasty have been picking up because of this. If you think of it as the same volume loss story we have discussed in the cheeks or temples, it is, but it's in a slightly different neighborhood. This is an interesting article from Malore. In body contouring results, we're seeing more combination planning, which includes addressing laxity or skin redundancy plus contouring or fat pockets in one thoughtful sequence. We're actually optimizing healings because GLP1s can affect wound biology in some patients. A lot of plastic surgeons are now pausing certain GLP1s before surgery. Not that you have to, but rather it's because we want to beef up or prejuvenate your nutrition before your procedure. And we also want to use meticulous tension-reducing closures in scar care after your procedure. The bottom line is that gorgeous results are achievable, but the playbook is evolving to respect healing dynamics and rapid weight loss patients. And finally, getting back to the labia majora, the Guardian has reported that intimate area aesthetics are having a moment, which includes benefits, choice, and comfort, as well as pitfalls, mainly marketing that preys on insecurity. The trend stories on social media are pretty loud and clear. Ground your choices in function, comfort, confidence, and what you want, not clicking nicknames. If you're exploring puffing or labioplasty, ask about filler versus fat, longevity, sensation, complications, and more. And make sure that your plastic surgeon can handle not only the actual procedure, but any potential revisions. Next up, an interesting article from Allure. Face scars and smarter techniques after weight loss. So, as we all know, fast fat loss can thin subcutaneous tissue. In the face, that's volume loss and sometimes visible tethering. In the body, especially after big changes of weight on GLP ones, it's excess skin in the arms, abdomen, and thighs. Plastic surgeons are responding with less invasive lifts when appropriate, shorter handed scars if possible, radiofrequency tightening if it's indicated, and any protocol to help improve scar quality, including silicone scar bandages, energy-based therapies, and even Botox around the incision to help reduce tension. The right plan really depends on your tissue quality, weight stability, and priorities. Here's a practical tip. In general, I want you to be weight stable first, ideally for about three to six months before you have any operation. This helps maintain skin laxity or tightness, as well as making sure the scar doesn't migrate or widen over time. This is an interesting article about breast augmentation in 2025, implants versus fat. This is actually a nerdy scientific article. A randomized, open label controlled trial compared breast implants to lipofilling, in other words, getting fat grafting for breast augmentation. At 12 months, breast implants had more evident and longer lasting volume. But grafting scored higher on natural aesthetics. Both approaches are safe, both approaches are effective with multi-year follow-up. But what choice is right for you is actually personal. If you want durability and size, definitely breast implants are probably a little better. But if you want a subtle, more natural feel and you want to be able to shape corrections that are sort of asymmetric, I think fat is actually a little better for you. And interestingly enough, there's an increase in demand for a hybrid approach, both implants as well as fat grafting. So those are really your options. Another thing to consider is that GLP1 weight loss patients may actually lack donor fat. So you may actually have not that much fat to actually harvest and then graft. So every patient's different. It really depends on what's going on with your body. In New Beauty, they reported that there's definitely a trend towards smaller implants, internal support, and more restrained aesthetics. This goes into the ballerina breast augmentation, which is a social media term, as well as other terms. Forbes has recently noted that every group chat is suddenly talking about celebrity transparency. You may have noticed that celebrities are more candid about what they've done, and it's not just facials. Forbes has analyzed this, and there's a stigma-lowering shift that educates consumers, but may risk oversimplifying surgical reality when social media platforms chase viral outcomes or just trying to get eyeballs as opposed to surgical and patient safety. Honesty can empower patients, especially if paired with nuances. What was done, by whom, and was it right for that patient's anatomy? Of course, in page six, they talked about the Charlie Sheen memoir anecdote. He had liposuction after being body shamed. It's messy, it's human, and it reminds us that body image is psychological as well as physical. In Indiana Public Media, there's an interesting article I found where public radio highlighted what I am seeing in my clinic. More millennials in Gen Z patients are choosing preventative or harmonizing procedure. More like smaller rhinoplastic refinements, deep plane facelift, but at a younger age and more for structure and long-term results, early eyelid work for function as well as a smaller eyelid procedure, which would help with recovery, and conservative body contouring. The motivation oftentimes isn't necessarily anti-aging, it's often about feature optimization and honestly gets back to the GLP1 injectables, post-weight loss fit. Now, this is a bonus article from Men's Fitness that has more to do with function and longevity as opposed to beauty. Recent articles have discussed the links between calf size and strength as a marker of overall health and cognition. So, resistance training can improve metabolism, balance, and recovery outcomes after surgery in general, but keeping your calf muscles more fit may actually be an indicator of your longevity. Of course, we know that calf muscles are important in walking, but it may actually show that if you have great calf muscles, you're going to live longer. Here's some rapid-fire FAQ questions. A patient may ask if they're already on a GLP1, do they need to stop before surgery? Often, yes, it's temporary to avoid nausea and to help with wound healing. Your plastic surgeon anesthesiologist will tailor when that pause occurs and when to restore. Is labia puffing with filler or fat long-lasting? Well, both options exist. So HA fillers done in the office with limited downtime typically lasts for about 12 months-ish. Fat transfer is definitely more surgical. It is longer lasting, but it depends on how much fat was harvested and how much fat actually takes. It also depends on your overall weight stability. Definitely choose an experienced plastic surgeon for intimate area work. After big weight loss, should I do lipo first or go straight to a lift? If the main issue is loose skin, then skin removal is probably the procedure that would benefit you most and much more than just pure fat suction. Of course, depends on you, so talk to your plastic surgeon about this. Implants versus fat grafting to the press, how do you decide? So, as the study said, durability and size, if you want that, I think that's much more towards breast implants. If you want a more subtle, not as big volume, as well as a more natural feel. If you want subtlety, in other words, a little less volume, as well as a more natural feel, then I would definitely consider fat grafting. And of course, you can actually do both. This is very common where patients get a breast implant and get fat grafting around the cleavage area, in other words, in the middle, to achieve a really beautiful soft result. What's a realistic downtime for a tummy tuck? For my patients, it's typically one to two weeks, and it should take maybe about six weeks to feel fully functional, where you can gradually return to working out, you can stand up without any excessive stretch, and you have full scar maturation where you can actually take care of it and not necessarily worry about what's a realistic downtime for a tummy tuck? In terms of function, I think it's around six weeks. So you can have a gradual return to workout. Remember, full healing takes six to 12 months, but to get around to be able to twist your waist, I say around six weeks, give or take, depending on what type of tummy tuck, as well as your own body's healing. Wrapping up, we've talked about weight loss meds, younger patience and timing, and radical transparency by celebrities, but biology still calls the shots. Stable weight overall still beats speed. Technique matters more than trends. And with credible data, in other words, breast implants versus fat grafting, or combination of both, or the hybrid approach should anchor your choices. If today's episode sparked a question, please send me a voice note or DM or leave a note under the caption of this podcast, and I'll be happy to answer it. If you have any other future topics that you want me to talk about, please let me know. As always, thanks so much for listening. This is the Weekly Beauty Standard with Dr. Roy Kit.