Semaglutide Injections for Weight Loss
At Berks Plastic Surgery in Reading, PA, we are committed to helping you achieve your aesthetic goals. Weight management plays a crucial role in successful surgical outcomes and overall health and wellness, and we offer semaglutide injections to help patients lower their BMI before surgery as well as patients seeking an effective weight-loss management program.
The semaglutide injections we offer at our practice comes from a compounding pharmacy, so it does not affect the supply of name-brand medications such as Ozempic® or Wegovy™ for patients with diabetes or obesity.
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a medication that helps you lose weight by suppressing your appetite. It contains a glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) that mimics a natural hormone in your body that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Semaglutide was first introduced as a diabetes treatment and had tremendous success for most patients. The significant weight loss potential of semaglutide was not only beneficial for people with diabetes but also for others who wanted to achieve medical weight loss.
How semaglutide injections work for weight loss
Semaglutide aids in weight loss by mirroring GLP-1 to help patients achieve safe and maintainable weight loss. It:
- Slows down your digestive system
- Increases the release of insulin
- Reduces glucagon levels
Most patients experience less food cravings and feel fuller for longer. Consuming fewer calories per day helps achieve notable weight loss over a relatively short amount of time; however, semaglutide doesn’t make you feel like you are starving or on a strict diet. You simply will not feel hungry as often or need to eat as much as before to feel full with semaglutide injections.
The long-term goal of our semaglutide weight loss program is to create healthier and more sustainable eating habits by gently teaching you to be cognizant of portion sizes and minimizing impulse eating to keep the weight off once you’ve achieved your weight loss goals.
Benefits of semaglutide injections
Semaglutide injections come with a host of benefits; chief among these is the decrease in internal visceral fat—an area traditionally untreatable via popular surgical or non-surgical procedures such as tummy tuck, liposuction, or CoolSculpting®. Reducing visceral fat with semaglutide injections can significantly transform body contours and overall health.
Patients taking semaglutide injections may also experience additional health benefits, including:
- Lower blood sugar and blood pressure
- Less inflammation
- Enhanced insulin functions
- Lowers cardiovascular risk factors for certain conditions like heart disease
Candidates for semaglutide injections
Semaglutide treatment isn’t for everyone: we need to assess your overall health and specific needs in a consultation to ensure safety and efficacy. In the meantime, here are some general guidelines we use to help determine if semaglutide is right for you:
- You are in general good health.
- You want to improve your overall appearance.
- You want help achieving your goal weight before plastic surgery.
- You are overweight or obese (25+ BMI) and would like to lose weight for better health and/or be eligible to undergo plastic surgery.
- You have realistic expectations and understand that optimal results with semaglutide depend on a nutritious diet and adequate exercise.
Who should not get semaglutide injections?
You should not get semaglutide injections if you have certain medical problems, such as a history of thyroid cancer or pancreatic issues, or are currently on diabetic medications.
What to expect with semaglutide treatments
Once we have determined that semaglutide weight loss injections may help you safely achieve your health and aesthetic goals, we’ll provide the medication and specific instructions for the once-a-week injection you can do at home! Nutrition counseling will also be a part of your treatment program to help you achieve stronger results and properly fuel your body.
Semaglutide results
Patients can expect to lose about 10% of their body weight with each 12-week treatment series—this is generally the amount of weight you can safely lose and keep off. For patients who want or need to lose more weight, we can add a future treatment series to help you experience greater weight loss. Semaglutide results will be gradual and become more visible after several weeks as your body naturally adjusts to fewer calories per day.
Are weight loss results from semaglutide permanent?
They can be; semaglutide injections can help prepare you mentally and physically to not over-consume calories, and continuing a balanced diet and regular exercise will help you maintain your weight loss long after your treatments have ended.
Are semaglutide injections safe?
Yes, semaglutide injections are considered safe and have been used in clinical treatments since 2005. A 2022 controlled study showed that semaglutide injections can safely achieve significant weight loss for obese and overweight adults.
Side effects from semaglutide
As with any medication, semaglutide injections may cause common side effects, including
- Nausea
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Bloating
- Heartburn
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
These possible side effects are usually mild and resolve as your body becomes accustomed to the medication. More serious side effects are rare but can occur.
We will discuss any side effects you may be experiencing at your weekly appointment and offer guidance and support to help you keep your treatment experience safe and comfortable.
Maintaining weight loss after semaglutide injections
You can help preserve your weight loss results by following a healthy diet and regularly moving your body; these are habits we also recommend implementing during the course of treatment. If you have struggled in the past with maintaining weight loss, you may find your experience after semaglutide is different: patients report feeling inspired by the natural-feeling weight loss it provides and say they find exercise and healthy lifestyle changes come more easily after treatment.
Pairing semaglutide injections with other body contouring procedures
Our semaglutide injection weight loss plan should ideally be completed before your body contouring procedure. This will allow your surgery or non-surgical treatment plan to be more refined, thus enhancing your overall results. Semaglutide can also help lower the risk of plastic surgery-related complications for overweight patients who have a BMI of 25 or higher.
Semaglutide FAQs
Can I use semaglutide if I have diabetes?
Semaglutide can be an excellent choice to help people with diabetes lose and manage their weight—just be sure to consult with your primary physician before starting any new medication. However, we do not advise patients already taking medicines to treat their diabetes to also receive semaglutide drugs.
How much do semaglutide injections cost?
The cost of semaglutide injections can vary based on the dosage and the number of treatments you need to achieve your weight loss goals. We will provide a detailed breakdown of your personalized treatment during your consultation.
Do semaglutide injections hurt?
Most patients find the quick injections easily tolerable. Semaglutide is administered using a very thin needle and inserted just below the skin—not into a vein or muscle. You can also alternate where you place your injection each week (your upper arm, thigh, or stomach area) so no one spot becomes especially tender.
Will insurance cover the cost of my semaglutide injections?
No, at this time, most insurance policies do not cover semaglutide for general weight loss, and we cannot bill your insurance to cover the cost of your treatment. However, we have convenient financing options to help make your weight-loss goals more affordable!
Will semaglutide injections affect any other medications I am on?
Semaglutide could potentially interact with other medications; it’s crucial to disclose your complete medical history and list of current medications before and throughout treatment to avoid interactions or poor results.
How do I get a prescription for semaglutide injections?
We will prescribe semaglutide after a comprehensive consultation, where we discuss your overall health and aesthetic goals, review your medical history, provide important safety information, and develop a personalized treatment plan.
Semaglutide weight loss injections in Reading, PA
Our semaglutide weight loss program is led by Heather Heck, RN, MSN, CRNP, and overseen by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Scott C. Lindsay. To learn more about how semaglutide can provide a comprehensive and personalized approach to your weight loss and aesthetic goals and schedule your consultation, call Berks Plastic Surgery at 610-320-0200 or fill out our online request form to receive a call from our care team.
