Experts have raised the alarm over a bizarre new side effect linked to weight-loss jabs - dubbed 'Ozempic hands'.

The term refers to the thinning, almost skeletal appearance of the hands and fingers reported in some people on drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. As the treatment triggers rapid fat and muscle loss across the body, subcutaneous fat is also stripped from the hands - leaving bones, veins and tendons more prominent.

The phenomenon was recognised when the jabs first began to be widely used, and some patients reported needing to have wedding and engagement rings resized as their fingers slimmed down, along with their waistlines.

Now the trend is back in the spotlight after viral social media videos highlighted how the hands of certain celebrities appear to have changed dramatically over the years. These have prompted a wave of online speculation about whether it might be an effect of weight-loss injections.

One clip, which has been viewed over three million times, focused on reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, comparing images of her hands recently and a decade before. While the creator of the video didn't speculate as to the cause, social media users were quick to suggest it was due to blockbuster weight-loss drugs.

Khloe Kardashian hasn't said she has used a weight-loss jab but previously did say she would have tried them when she was attempting to lose weight in her younger years.

Experts speaking to MailOnline explain that fat loss to the hands can happen with any version of the drug, including Wegovy and Mounjaro. Pharmacist and nutritional therapist Deborah Grayson, known as The Godmother of Pharmacology on TikTok, said: 'Ozempic hands is the visible thinning of fingers that can occur during rapid weight loss. As with weight loss in general, fat loss doesn't happen evenly across the body. The hands, which naturally have very little fat to begin with, can appear bonier or slimmer as a result. It's not a side effect of the medication itself, but rather a visual consequence of rapid fat loss.'

She added that it wasn't harmful, however the change would be permanent - unless the patient regained weight. Cosmetic treatments such as injections of fillers to 'plump' and rejuvenate the hands may be one remedy, however these are specialist procedures and cost many hundreds of pounds.

Medics told MailOnline that 'Ozempic hands' or alternatively 'Ozempic fingers' are a real phenomenon that can occur among people taking weight-loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro. Oprah Winfrey, who has confirmed she has taken weight-loss jabs, is pictured with noticeably thinner fingers in 2023.

GP Dr Donald Grant, a senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, also said Ozempic hands or fingers was nothing to medically be concerned about. But he added that patients on the drugs should still keep an eye on potential side effects and seek advice from their GP if needed. 'Should people experience increased side effect intensity or different reactions to the treatment, people should visit their GP, who can provide further advice,' he said. 'Anyone concerned about the amount of weight they're losing should also seek urgent medical attention.'

In the TikTok clip that sparked the new discussion of the side effect, a woman posting under the name 'atruthforyou' compared images of Khloe Kardashian's hands from 2012 to a picture taken in 2022. In the latter, the star's fingers are noticeably thinner and appear longer.

Some commentators said the hands looked like those of 'vampires', with one adding: 'Got them Nosferatu hands!'

Other stars who have confirmed they are using weight-loss jabs also appear to have thinner hands. These include talkshow host Oprah Winfrey, and TV personality Sharon Osbourne.

'Ozempic hands' is just the latest in a series of side effects people have speculated A-listers may be suffering from. Another recent one to emerge is 'Ozempic feet' which refers to sagging or aging skin on the feet due to rapid fat loss that occurs while users are on the jabs.

While blockbuster weight-loss jabs help slimmers lose up to a fifth of their body weight in only a year, this can come at price. Earlier this year surgeons raised the alarm about the rising number of people suffering from issues with their body shape from rapid weight loss. Cosmetic procedures such as thigh lifts and tummy tucks have enjoyed a post-Ozempic boom, as people seek to rid themselves of 'melted candle' excess skin folds left behind after they slim down.

While fat tissues shrink away, the skin - which has become stretched over time from a person being overweight - doesn't simply snap back. In extreme and rapid cases of weight loss - such as that which occurs in people using weight-loss jabs - surgery can be the only remedy for this excess skin. But it's not just a cosmetic issue; patients with excess skin can also suffer mobility problems and infections due to excess skin. And if they choose to fix the issue with surgery, they also face the inescapable risk of surgical complications including blood clots.

The issue of the aesthetic aftermath of weight-loss jabs is only going to grow larger as the drugs are dished out to more and more people. About 4,000 patients a month are prescribed GLP-1 drugs on the NHS in the UK, with almost 350,000 patients receiving the medications in 2024, though additionally 500,000 are thought to be taking the drugs privately. And more could be on the way - as British GPs will be able to prescribe the jabs directly to patients from this month. This is a shake-up from the previous system which required patients to attend a specialist NHS weight-loss clinic to get the jabs on the health service.

However, this will initially only be available for severely obese patients with multiple health conditions. But it is expected more patients will be able to get the jabs from their family doctor as restrictions are relaxed over the next three years. In the US, it is estimated about 13 per cent of the population - roughly 33million people - have tried the drugs at least once.

While the injections have been linked to multiple health benefits that go beyond combating obesity, including a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, other studies suggest that could also carry some risks. One recent study suggested they could raise the risk of a type of cancer that is surging in young people.

Source: Daily Mail