A woman who turned to “skinny jabs” in a bid to achieve her dream body has revealed how she’s been left with “clumps” of hair loss and an “apron tummy” but doesn’t regret it.
Charmaine Hines had always struggled with her weight.
At her heaviest, she weighed 16st 9lbs.
The 35-year-old had tried Slimming World, Slim Fast, Keto and the Special K diet, yet still “hated” what was staring back at her in the mirror.
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In January 2025, the mum-of-three bit the bullet as a “last resort” solution, forking out £72 a month for Mounjaro through MedExpress.
Instead of achieving her dream body, Charmaine’s been left even more upset with how she looks now due to the jab’s side effects.
But says she doesn’t regret taking them in the slightest.
“I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and the excess skin – that looks like I’m wearing an apron – is a reminder of the body I once hated,” the mortgage administrator, from Powys, told Need To Know.
“It’s been really tough.
“And the hair loss has been so stressful.
“When I was washing my hair, it was falling out in clumps.
“I went to the doctors for blood tests, and they came back normal.
“But I’ve had to cut my hair really short, so there is less weight.
“I also take collagen and biotin daily in the hopes that the thickness will improve with time.
“Even still, taking Mounjaro has been, by far, the best thing I’ve ever done.
“I don’t regret it one bit.”
Charmaine, who was “hiding” behind black baggy clothes, struggled to find energy to go to the gym, especially after taking care of three young kids, aged three, nine and 12 [not named for privacy reasons].
She said: “I’d wake up every morning feeling tired, like I’d not been to sleep.
“I was out of breath just walking up the stairs.
“It affected my confidence with my husband, as I was embarrassed about what other people thought seeing us together, as he’s slim.
“I’d always get undressed in the dark so he couldn’t see me.
“And once, my son came home from school and said that a girl asked if I was pregnant, when I wasn’t.
“When I did fall pregnant, people always asked how many, as I was so big.”
She attributes her weight gain to a lack of knowledge surrounding nutrition and exercise, as well as overeating to ease emotions.
Before, she’d eat high-fat and sugary foods, such as fry-ups and greasy takeaways.
After hearing about Mounjaro through the news and friends’ posts, she decided to give it a go.
Charmaine did worry about the potential side effects, though she was pleasantly surprised when the weight began “falling off”.
She said: “In my first week, I lost just under a stone.
“I wondered at this point why I hadn’t done it sooner.
“Now, I’m on my final pen as I’m close to my goal weight.
“People do think it’s the ‘easy’ option and that weight loss is as simple as getting off your bum and eating less.
“But that isn’t the case for so many of us, including myself.
“Food addictions and emotional eating are crippling, and the pen allows you to remove the food noise without the internal voice trying to sabotage you.
“It’s not magic; you’ve still got to work with it.”
Now, she weighs 9st 11lb, though she hopes to get down to 9st.
Overall, it cost £720 – and at the expense of beauty.
She added, “I’ve had to stop the unnecessary luxuries, such as getting my nails and eyelashes done, to afford it.
“And I absolutely dream of having a tummy tuck, though it’s not something I can afford right now.
“I feel there needs to be more support for coming off the pen, as people lose weight very quickly.
“The mind – and body – doesn’t have a chance to catch up.
“It can be very scary, too.
“But I’ve gained confidence, something I always struggled with, and feel good in my own skin.
“I’m positive about my health and future.
“It’s not the fairy tale ending I had in my head when I first started.
“I don’t have my perfect body, but I finally feel like me again.”
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