Hongdae Wegovy: What You Must Check Before Getting a Prescription

Hello. I am Jo Won-jin, the director of 차이의원, where I have been providing dermatological care in Hongdae for 10 years.

As Wegovy has emerged as a major topic in the weight-loss market,

many people are looking into getting a prescription near Hongdae.

Although it is clearly a proven medication for obesity treatment,

not every weight-loss problem can be solved with Wegovy alone.

How to manage the side effects of Wegovy in Hongdae,

as well as how to address the areas where Wegovy falls short,

must be planned together to achieve satisfactory results.

I will summarize the key points you must check before getting a prescription.

As shown in the photo above, I also lost 8 kg with Wegovy.

Table of Contents

• Who is Wegovy suitable for in Hongdae?

• How does Wegovy work?

• Side effects: “How you manage them” matters

• There are areas that cannot be resolved with Wegovy alone

• Just as you manage the weight you lose, you need to address your face and body contours separately

• What happens after the prescription is more important

Who is Wegovy suitable for in Hongdae?

Wegovy is not prescribed to everyone.

According to the approval criteria of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety,

it is intended for adults with

BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher,

or BMI of 27 kg/m² or higher along with

comorbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia.

Use solely for cosmetic purposes is not an appropriate indication for a prescription,

and use is restricted in the following cases.

✔ Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals

✔ Individuals with a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma

✔ Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2)

Suitability must be confirmed through a medical consultation beforehand.

How does Wegovy work?

Its active ingredient, semaglutide,

mimics the GLP-1 hormone secreted after meals,

stimulates the appetite center in the brain,

and slows the rate of gastric emptying.

As a result, you feel full after eating less than usual,

which naturally reduces the amount you eat.

Its effects last for about a week with once-weekly subcutaneous injections,

and its mechanism is fundamentally different from dieting by starving yourself or enduring hunger.

Side effects: “How you manage them” matters

The most common side effects of Wegovy

are gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation,

which are especially pronounced during the first 8–12 weeks,

when the dose is increased from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg and then to 1.0 mg.

The most important factor at this stage

is adjusting the pace of dose escalation.

If the standard schedule feels burdensome, the adjustment period should be extended sufficiently,

and, if necessary, taking a gastrointestinal protectant or an antiemetic alongside it by prescription

can be a great help in maintaining daily life.

Rare occurrences of acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and hypoglycemia

must be detected early through regular monitoring,

so management at a medical institution that provides regular consultations

is safer than self-administration.

There are areas that cannot be resolved with Wegovy alone

This is the part that many people overlook.

Wegovy reduces overall body weight,

but it has clear limitations in three areas.

Ozempic face

Rapid weight loss can cause the loss of facial fat pads and collagen as well,

making the cheeks look hollow, deepening nasolabial folds,

and making the skin appear saggy.

This is why there are many reviews saying,

“I lost weight, but my face suddenly looks older.”

Localized fat

Medication only reduces overall body fat proportionally;

it does not target fat that is resistant to loss in specific areas

such as the abdomen, inner thighs, upper arms, and under the chin.

Sagging skin

Rapid weight loss over a short period

does not give the skin enough time to adapt to the new contours,

making it prone to becoming loose.

Just as you manage the weight you lose, you need to address your face and body contours separately

Ozempic face, localized fat, and sagging skin

are not resolved simply by stopping Wegovy or reducing the dose.

This is because lost volume and loose skin

are separate from body weight.

That is why overseas guidelines and clinical practice also recommend

combining the following supportive treatments during therapy with GLP-1 medications.

✔ For hollowed volume

Collagen boosters such as Rejuran and Sculptra

✔ For localized fat that is resistant to loss

Contour injections and fat-dissolving injections

✔ For loose skin

Lifting procedures such as Ultherapy and Thermage

Timing is important.

If volume treatments are performed too early, while weight is falling rapidly,

they may not keep pace with the rate of weight loss,

while waiting too long can cause sagging to become established.

Adjusting the timing and treatment areas

to match the weight-loss curve makes a difference in the outcome.

This is also the area I pay the closest attention to in my Wegovy consultations.

From the time of prescription, I monitor both the rate of weight loss and the condition of the skin,

and guide patients toward only the treatments they need at the appropriate time.

Rather than recommending medication and procedures as a package,

it is important to assess “what is needed now and what is still too early”

according to each person’s weight-change graph.

What happens after the prescription is more important

Studies have found that when Wegovy is discontinued, appetite returns

and some of the lost weight may be regained.

Therefore, the most realistic strategy is to improve eating habits and activity levels during treatment,

then transition smoothly to a maintenance protocol after stopping the medication.

The photo above also shows a case in which body contours were improved with a radiofrequency lifting device without medication.

If you are considering Wegovy in Hongdae,

I recommend starting at a medical institution that plans not only the prescription,

but also side-effect management and ways to improve the results.

Thank you. This was Jo Won-jin.

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