Semaglutide and tirzepatide are prescription GLP-1 medications that can be powerful tools for patients who are struggling with weight loss. These medications help reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, and support meaningful weight loss over time. Many patients experience weight loss of 10–30% or more of their starting body weight (we have some patients who have lost over 50%). Our goal is to provide SAFE, personalized, medically supervised care that focuses not only on weight loss, but also on helping you feel healthier, more confident, and comfortable in your body.
If you are unsure, just call to make an appointment to speak with Kim. She will walk you through everything and answer your questions.
First and foremost, our GLP-1 program is directly overseen by Dr. Loftus, herself. Working closely with Nurse Kim Gaiser, Dr. Loftus ensures that all candidates for our program are carefully screened. GLP-1 medicines occasionally cause medical problems, which is why Dr. Loftus oversees the program and works closely with Nurse Kim.
After cleared by Dr. Loftus, all patients meet with Kim Gaiser, RN to have a full discussion about our GLP program. During your meeting with Nurse Kim, you will discuss many things, including our general protocol.
We start most patients at 0.2 mg of semaglutide the 1st week. This might seem low, but we have found that starting higher causes unnecessary abdominal pain and nausea. If you read about this class of medicine on the internet, you will discover that a large number of people are unable to tolerate these medicines because of nausea and abdominal pain. This occurs most commonly because the doctor (or clinic) started at too high of a dose and advanced the patient too fast. The nausea and abdominal pain can almost always be avoided if these medicines are started slowly – which is what we do at Loftus Total Skin Care. In contrast, the clinics that take the one-size-fits-all approach are prone to cause side effects and have patients drop out. Very few of our patients drop out of our program because we tailor our dosing to each patient.
As long as you are having no unfavorable symptoms, we will then increase your weekly dose by .05 – .1 mg every week or two, depending on how well you did with your most recent dose.
Nurse Kim will see you (and weigh you) weekly. Once you start losing 1-2 lbs per week, we will keep you at that dose. We will then continue to see you weekly and adjust your dose up or down as you lose weight and/or plateau and/or develop side effects.
Once you reach a regular dose, you will then have the option of doing at-home shots, which you administer to yourself. If you choose this route, Nurse Kim will meet with you and teach you how to do the shots. She will then speak with you by phone at regular intervals and will see you in person about twice each year. Our at-home shots are about 1/5 the price of our in-office shots, so well worth looking into.
If your weight does not respond to semaglutide (some don’t), then you will have the option of switching to tirzepatide.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, while tirzepatide acts on both GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Both medications can be highly effective tools for weight management in appropriately selected patients.
Patients seeking procedures such as tummy tucks, body lifts, breast surgery, or other body-contouring procedures may be advised to reach a healthier and more stable weight before surgery, especially those who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) about 30. Excess weight can increase the risks associated with anesthesia and surgery, including wound-healing problems and other complications. Further, cosmetic results are often greatly optimized when a patient is closer to their ideal body weight rather than overweight. So, whenever possible, we encourage patient to achieve their target body weight ahead of plastic surgery. Generally speaking, when a patient is within 20 pounds of their target body weight, then proceeding with plastic surgery is reasonable, provided other medical matters are controlled.
Significant weight loss can be life-changing, but it can also leave patients with loose skin and changes in body proportions that cannot be corrected through additional weight loss alone.
Once weight has stabilized, procedures such as a tummy tuck, arm lift, thigh lift, breast lift, or lower-body lift may help remove excess skin and improve body contour.
Weight management does not necessarily end when a patient reaches their surgical goal. Maintaining a stable weight can be an important part of preserving the results of body-contouring surgery. For appropriate patients, GLP-1-based medications may become part of a longer-term weight-management strategy under the supervision of a qualified medical professional. The goal should be sustainable health—not simply reaching a particular number on the scale before surgery.
At Loftus Total Skin Care, we have a large GLP-1 program, and we are able to pass the savings on to our patients. As a result, the cost of our program is much lower than prescription price or online prices (beware online sources of GLP, by the way!).
Rate: $14 per 0.1 mg
Typical dose of .5 mg: $90
Rate: $360 per 10 mg
Typical dose of .5 mg = $18
Rate: $20 per 1 mg
Typical dose of 5 mg: $100
