I’m a beauty editor who lost 10kg on Ozempic, but I was left with an ugly turkey neck, saggy skin, hair loss and worse – here are the tricks I used to fix them ALL at 50

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In April 2023, when I was 48, I hit rock bottom with my weight. I was struggling with perimenopause, had back pain, high cholesterol, and blood tests showed I was pre-diabetic.

After months of yo-yo dieting, hundreds of pounds spent on nutritional advice and supplements, and extra time devoted to the gym, I made some progress – but this progress was to be derailed by the juggling of family life (young children and elderly parents) and a busy career as a freelance beauty editor, running my business The Editor’s List (editorslist.co.uk), a concierge-style service that directs people to the best cosmetic procedures and practitioners.

I decided to go on Ozempic under the supervision of Dr Wendy Denning (thehealthdoctors.co.uk) and over the next nine months I lost 10 stone, which has greatly improved my health. But there was cosmetic collateral damage: my hair became thinner, I lost facial oil and skin elasticity.

The good thing is, as a beauty editor, I’m in a position to provide guinea pig cosmetic fixes, and over the past two years I’ve road-tested a wide variety of machines and injectable products. Here’s my idea of ​​what really works.

Problem: turkey neck

When people talk about Ozempic, I found that the loose skin on my neck got worse after weight loss. I went to nurse practitioner Alexandra Mills ( amaesthetics.clinic ) to try the new injectable skin booster Revitalis (£250), which contains hyaluronic acid and glycerol, which helps smooth crepey skin with a pleasant plumping effect. To get the best results, you need three sessions, spaced two to four weeks apart. The effects last for about six months.

To tighten and strengthen the sensitive skin in the area, I followed this up with a visit to Dr Paris Acharya (drparis.co.uk), who has developed a £850 three-stage Nécolleté treatment.

Olivia shows off the results of her body treatment

It starts with NCTF (new cellular therapeutic factor) mesotherapy: small, fairly painless injections of more than 50 vitamins and minerals to improve skin health. Dr Paris then applies a Radiesse ‘wash’ solution made from calcium hydroxylapatite (a mineral found in bone that acts as a scaffold under wrinkled skin), using a cannula to delicately distribute fluids. As a final breakthrough, he injected small dots of Plinest polynucleotides (highly purified salmon DNA) that work to produce more collagen. I had two Nécolleté treatments six weeks apart, and despite the initial bruising on my neck, the before and after pictures above say it all: The effects are remarkable and should last up to 18 months.

I use it to continue doing good work at home Trinny London Lift Neck Concentrate (£68, trinnylondon.com) One of the best neck firming products I’ve tried.

Problem: hair loss

My colorist initially noted that my ponytail was thinning. Then my daughter told me that the back of my scalp was visible when I walked up the escalator. Something had to be done.

Since starting weight loss medications (I switched to microdosing Mounjaro about a year ago) I’ve tried several treatments to combat hair loss. PRP (platelet rich plasma), where nutrient-rich plasma is extracted from your own blood and injected into your scalp, was incredibly painful and did not help. Calecim Advanced Hair System (£295, calecimprofessional.com), a six-week at-home kit containing a powerful stem cell serum that promises to reactivate dormant hair follicles. I did delivers results but requires planning; The serum should be applied weekly and used for 48 hours.

I then booked in to see Dr Coen Gho (hasci.com), who I often refer my male clients to regarding hair thinning. Dr Gho specializes in hair stem cell transplantation (from £3,500). The Ferrari of hair loss treatments can repair your hair permanently. This procedure is psychologically difficult rather than painful, and since it is a meticulous work, it can take up to eight hours.

The scalp is anesthetized with local anesthesia, and a large strip-sized donor area is shaved at the back (can be camouflaged with the hair combed over it). Individual hair follicles on the back of the head are combined using a special needle, preserving a part of the original hair follicle and allowing your hair to regrow in the donor area. The harvested grafts are then soaked in a stem cell solution and then repositioned onto the scalp through small tapestry-like holes. 701 grafts were placed at the front of my hairline and temples, then dotted around the back of my scalp.

For a week after the procedure, small crusts formed where Dr Gho inserted the new hair follicles and began to itch as the new hair began to grow. I’m currently about two months post-procedure but I’m already seeing significant sprouting. Dr Gho says new hair grows at about 1cm per month and it will take about nine to 12 months to see full results.

Dr Gho also gave me a minoxidil spray (a gold standard ingredient targeting hereditary hair loss) which was very helpful. But now it’s over, I’m ordering Regaine Scalp Foam for Women (£50, boots.com) contains a potent five per cent minoxidil.

Problem: dull skin

Rapid weight loss can cause skin to lose its luster, so I went to see Dr Glyn Estebanez (drglyn medispa.com) to have the new Skinvive skin-boosting injections (£750) applied to the lower half of my face. These contain a flowable form of hyaluronic acid (it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water) and give the skin great hydration rather than adding volume. It’s good for smokers’ lines, can be injected into the lips to provide hydration without the duckbill, and lasts about nine months.

I use it at home too Volume u.lift (£105, volulift.co.uk), Ozempic is a moisturizer that claims to combat facial effects. Formulated by a German plastic surgeon, the cream is packed with interesting ingredients like bakuchiol (a gentler retinol alternative) and HA silanol, a next-generation hyaluronic acid. It provided incredible radiance and is one of my favorite skincare discoveries of the past year.