Plastic Surgery 101 - Top Trends of the Past Ten Years

Plastic surgery provides enhancements and changes to the appearance of a patient. While the field of plastic surgery continues to evolve and reveal new treatments, there are some procedures that have proven to be very popular among patients in the past decade. Here are some of the top plastic surgery trends of the past ten years that spotlight the procedures patients have been picking to augment their appearance.

Top Plastic Surgery Trends of the Past Decade

• Patients that want a more natural look to areas of the face that have an older or sunken look often turn to fillers to get the look they desire. The fillers add volume to areas of the face that have naturally lost volume over the years due to the aging process. The result is a youthful look to the face that lessens wrinkles and other signs of aging. There is also a growing trend to inject fat into the face to fill-in areas where the face is gaunt in appearance. The fat comes from another part of the body of the patient. Since the fat transfer uses fat from the body of the actual patient, there is little chance of the person having any type of allergic reaction to the injection.
• Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, is performed to restore vision to a patient with excess skin and fat in the eyelids. Blepharoplasty also removes bags located under the eyes and provides a youthful look to puffy eyelids. Lower eyelid surgery involves creating an incision below the lower eyelashes to remove any excess fat and skin. Upper eyelid surgery is when an incision is made in the natural crease of the upper eyelids to remove excess skin that is blocking the vision of the patient.
• Patients that want a better shape to the body turn to body contouring to gain a smooth and firm look to the targeted area. Unwanted and/or stubborn fat can be removed using liposuction to permanently remove the fat cells from the area on the body where they are located.  In addition, the fat that is removed using liposuction can be transferred to other areas of the body to add volume and enhance the appearance of other sections of the body.
• In the past, the phrase “bigger is better” was often used to refer to the changes made to the breasts through breast augmentation. This is not always the case as overly large breasts might not always be ideal for the body type of the patient. A trend has started to go with a more natural size to the breasts by examining the body of the patient, discussing the desired results and goals of the person and even using 3D imaging to determine the ideal size for breast implants that are placed in the body.
• Many patients are now using thread lifts to rejuvenate the look of the face. A thread lift is performed to elevate parts of the face that are sagging such as the cheeks, brows and jowls. The doctor will create tiny incisions in order to insert thin threads into the targeted area of the face. The threads will be attached to the skin tissue so they can be pulled back by the surgeon. The pulling of the threads will lift the face and provide a smooth appearance. A thread lift also raises the treated area to eliminate any sagging of the skin. The threads are also knotted so they are hidden within the skin which reduces the visibility of any scars from the treatment,
• In the past, many patients would simply undergo one cosmetic surgery treatment at a time. There has been a growing trend towards combing noninvasive treatments along with invasive surgical procedures at the same time. For example, a breast augmentation patient might receive injectables in the face at the same time. A person that has a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) might decide to have Botox as well to achieve a more youthful look from the top to the bottom of the body. By having multiple treatments performed at once, patients can save time by not having to visit a doctor multiple times. In addition, some medial offices offer special prices or deals to patients that undergo multiple procedures at the same time.

How to Take Advantage of These Trends

Anyone that is interested in having any of the trendy treatments listed above should schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified doctor that is experienced in performing any of these procedures. The doctor will examine the patient to makes sure the person is healthy enough to have cosmetic surgery and is an ideal patient for the desired treatment.

The doctor will also discuss the desired changes to the body with the patient. It is important that the patient wants to make the enhancements or alterations to the body and is not having any type of cosmetic procedure to make someone else happy.

- MA