Kya Odom was forced to face a shocking truth after dropping 30 pounds in just over 30 days.
Her face had deflated.
So, to re-plump her mug after shrinking from 155 to 125 pounds, the newly svelte Gen Z from Columbus, Ohio opted for a facial fat transfer.
“I got a face BBL,” Odom, 22, a Hooters-waitress-turned beauty influencer, told The Post with a laugh, likening her $9,000 cosmetic procedure to the celeb-buzzy Brazilian Butt Lift.
And like the BBL surgery, during which baggy bums are made bountiful with fat from other areas of the body, facial fat transfers use liposuctioned chub to re-inflate patients’ cheeks for a youthful finish.
It’s a minimally invasive treatment (and a more natural alternative to dermal filler) that’s increasing in demand amid the rapid weight loss craze spurred by Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Researchers from RealSelf, a virtual healthcare marketplace, determined a 253% surge in interest for facial fat transfers from January 2023 through October 2024, per a December report.
Mino Clark, CEO of the plastic surgery hub, says the uptick in popularity is directly related to the spike in Ozempic use nationwide.
“Rapid weight loss from [weight loss meds] is driving higher demand for procedures like facial fat transfers that restore lost volume,” she told The Post.
It’s all about looking fab, not flabby.
Thanks to the current thin-is-in movement, nearly everyone — from A-listers to average joes, and Baby Boomers to Zoomers — is blasting away excess blubber with the help of anti-obesity surgeries and medications like Ozempic, Monjauro and Wegovy.
Although the societal swing towards slenderizing has triggered a recent decrease in US obesity rates, the pervasiveness of weight loss drugs has left some users looking less than their best.
The not-so-sexy side effects of the meds, such as the dreaded “Ozempic butt” or limp “Ozempic breasts,” have sent physiques sagging in all the wrong places.
But it’s “Ozempic face” that really takes the cake.
Many have alleged that celebs like Jessica Simpson, Sharon Osborne and Scott Disick, who have lost weight recently, have lost fullness in their faces, with many speculating it’s because of the jabs.
But rather than repack on the pounds, guys and gals are booking appointments to plump up with a doctor’s syringe.
“More people have ‘filler fear’ these days — and that’s especially true in New York,” said Clark, referring to concerns that faux injections might beget unnatural outcomes. “So they’re asking for more subtle results, and seeking out providers who won’t over-fill or give them ‘pillow face.’”
Fifth Avenue plastic surgeon Dilip Madnani agrees that the fear of looking haggard is leading the facial fat transfer charge in NYC, where costs for the procedure can range from $5,000 to $7,000.
“Rapid weight loss results in volume loss in the face,” said Madnani, adding that his office receives between “5-10 calls” per week for the augmentation.
“This can lead to hollow cheeks and temples, deeper set eyes, nasolabial and marionette folds, and sagging skin,” he explained, “[which can make] the face appear older and tired.”
To repair the drooping damage, Madnani typically harvests donor fat from the abdomen or flanks. He then inserts between five to 20 cubic centimeters, or CCs, into the face, depending on the level of volume loss and the patient’s desired look.
But the expert urges prospective patients to exercise a bit of patience before getting the transfer.
Madnani suggests that folks on fat-shedding journeys wait until they’ve reached their ideal weight before undergoing a facial fat transfer. Continued weight loss can affect the results, causing the freshly injected fat to shrink or resorb.
“Facial fat transfer can restore youthful volume,” said the doc, “enhancing beauty and providing a more rejuvenated look, while also improving skin texture and facial contour.”
And it did all of the above for his patient, Sarah.
“I can look in the mirror now,” the giddy 69-year-old, who chose not to disclose her last name for privacy purposes, tells The Post.
“I can leave the house more quickly as it takes much less for me to be presentable,” continued the New Yorker, who recently went from 215 to 125 pounds with bariatric surgery.
“I attended my high school reunion and had no anxiety about appearance,” Sarah gushed. “My new problem was graciously accepting compliments.”
Odom’s rejuvenated face has, too, received high flattery.
“My friends at work loved it,” she said.
In addition to her facial fat transfer — for which her surgeon extracted fat from her abdomen and lower chin — Odom also underwent a rhinoplasty surgery on her nose. But she says her colleagues at Hooters barely noticed her new schnoz, owing to her renewed glow from the facial fat transfer.
“It looked like I was Kim Kardashian,” said Odom. “I had full checks, my eyes weren’t hollow.”
“I looked alive.”
