Hollywood is fighting Ozempic side effects with this ‘RHONJ’-approved beauty treatment
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” are keeping things tight.
On a recent Season 14 episode of the Bravo show, Teresa Giudice, Danielle Cabral and Jennifer Aydin indulged in a round of at-home sessions of Emsculpt Neo — a trendy non-invasive procedure that helps tighten skin — on their booties, hoping that the effects would reshape their rear ends.
While none of the three Garden State ladies have said they use weight loss drugs like Ozempic, others on the cast, like Dolores Catania and Margaret Josephs, have copped to the shot; Melissa Gorga even recently declared she’s the “only” cast member who is not hooked on the drug.
Alysha Mooney, co-founder of Elite Aesthetics in West Hollywood, Calif., tells Page Six Style that Emsculpt is a common go-to for those concerned with certain side effects of rapid weight loss.
Mooney has treated a slew of famous patients who’ve slimmed down at record speed with Ozempic, causing their skin to sag in places they weren’t prepared for.
“I have a lot of the ‘Housewives’ coming in, and they were losing so much weight,” Mooney shares, noting that Emsculpt Neo has helped her clientele — including A-listers and Bravolebrities alike, though she won’t name names — tone up their midsections, arms, legs and butts.
The technology works by using high-intensity electromagnetic energy (also known as HIFEM) to stimulate muscle contractions. A single 30-minute treatment on one’s core or glutes is said to be the equivalent of 24,000 crunches or squats, respectively.
Mooney says this treatment — which costs between $1,000 and $1,500 per session — has become an attested antidote to the loose skin that seems to go hand in hand with slimming shots.
Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription drug known generically as semaglutide, works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which triggers the release of insulin after eating, along with the feeling of satiety.
It was originally created for prediabetic individuals or patients with Type 2 diabetes to help regulate blood sugar levels. But it has steadily increased in popularity among entertainment industry professionals for its ability to shrink waistlines.
“Essentially, semaglutide causes you not to eat. And if you’re not eating enough protein or working out, your body is going to burn muscle before it burns fat,” Mooney says.
That’s where Emsculpt Neo comes in, she adds; “When you’re doing semaglutide, it’s super important to be working on building muscle, which is what this device was built for.”
Arguably, the most-discussed side effect of taking any version of semaglutide is “Ozempic face” — a hollowed, gaunt or aged appearance — brought on by fast facial fat loss.
Although Emsculpt Neo isn’t used on the face, Emface — which uses the same technology and promises a “non-surgical facelift” — has been embraced by stars like Jessica Simpson, Rebel Wilson and Alicia Silverstone. (Wilson’s the only one of the bunch who’s spoken about trying Ozempic.)
And Mooney says there are other face-tightening treatments worth trying, too.
She likes to combine Cynosure’s Potenza — a microneedling treatment that firms skin and promotes collagen production — with PicoSure Pro, a laser treatment that helps with hyperpigmentation and the appearance of wrinkles.
“These treatments can be tailored to each person. So if they’re worried about sunken eyes or prominent jowls due to fat loss, we can go in with Potenza and Pico to tighten their skin and give them that snatched, youthful look,” Mooney says of the treatments, which cost between $1,250 and $1,500 each.
“With Emsculpt Neo, I like to sometimes complement the abs and stomach with Potenza,” she adds.
“Or even above the knees, where quick weight loss can sometimes cause skin to sag, too. It works cohesively together for people on semaglutide or similar drugs.”
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Mooney says her patients are “very open” about their use of weight loss medication in the safety of her med spa, but says many are still hesitant to publicly divulge this information as stigmas persist.
“Even the ‘Housewives’ who come here — the ones who don’t publicly say they’re on it — they come in and they’re like, ‘I just don’t feel like it’s everybody’s business because it is something that’s still judged right now,’” she says.
“And I get that. If you have to live your life in the public eye, I wouldn’t like that either. From person to person, though, everyone’s very open about it. I think it just has to become more mainstream. When more celebrities start admitting to it, people will probably start to accept it more.”
A handful of public figures have spoken out about taking Ozempic — or one of the other semaglutide drugs on the market, like Wegovy and Mounjaro — for their slimming effects.
Kelly Clarkson confirmed that her newly svelte frame is the result of weight loss medication after months of speculation, as did Oprah Winfrey.
As far as “Real Housewives” stars go, Catania, Josephs, Jenn Fessler, Heather Gay, Marlo Hampton, Emily Simpson and Braunwyn Windham-Burke have all been vocal about their experiences taking such drugs.
Meanwhile, Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, and Gina Kirschenheiter — among others who have dropped significant amounts of weight over the past year or two — have denied using semaglutide to aid in their fitness journeys.
“I think it’s one of those things, like fillers and Botox, that used to be very kind of hush-hush,” says Mooney, a former nurse injector.
“And then once everybody sort of starts talking about it, it just becomes the norm.”
