Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

Considering how quickly trends develop on social media these days, and influence the plastic surgery landscape in the process, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that cultural forces shape plastic surgery trends. But for all the globalization that’s taken place since the advent of the internet, it turns out that local cultural factors have the most impact on the type of procedure you’re most likely to get.

Every year, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) publishes a report on plastic surgery trends for the past year. Aside from taking a deep dive into which surgeries are performed the most across the country, which injectables are on the rise, and the ways in which plastic surgery is increasing among men, it also explores how your zip code may contribute to your interest in a certain procedure.

More specifically, the ASPS looked at the most popular surgical and minimally invasive procedures and then broke those figures down by region.

Some interesting differences emerged. For instance, about 36% of all breast augmentations were done in the west. And a third of all male breast reductions were performed in the northeast.

Climate plays a role. “In the west, because the weather is better and people are a little more exposed, a lot of women are more aware of what their breasts look like in public,” said Debra Johnson, MD, a past-president of the ASPS. “Western women tend to steer themselves more towards procedures like breast implants, lifts, and reductions to keep themselves feeling comfortable.”

A region’s prevailing industries also appear to be a big influence. For example, looking younger may be more valued in an area like Greater Philadelphia, where there’s a higher percentage of a mobile, white-collar workforce, than it is, say, along the farm belt, where people are generally more inclined to stay at the same job for longer.

Wherever you find your inspiration, be sure to do your homework and find a board-certified plastic surgeon who’s experienced in the procedure you’re considering. 

I’m fond of saying that plastic surgery is equal parts medicine and imagination, that the best doctors among us possess both technical expertise and uncommon artistic ability. And while that idea is certainly not new, it’s taken on a fresh relevance as surgeons are using injectables in lots of innovative ways to sculpt the human face.

With a syringe of hyaluronic acid filler, we can plump lips, alter the shape of a nose, and carve a new jawline. By understanding how Sculptra can spur collagen growth, we can subtly restore lost volume. And with neurotoxins (like Botox and Jeuveau) and deoxycholic acid (Kybella), we can create negative space and streamline the silhouette.

Subtraction by addition

Nonsurgical rhinoplasty, or the “liquid nose job,” as it’s more widely known, is often held up as the most impressive example of shape-shifting with hyaluronic acid fillers. Augmenting the nose renders it bigger, not smaller. Yet, by creating a highlight down the center and a delicate point at the tip, the nose appears smaller and proportionate.

Lip augmentation is a similar illusion. It’s easy to think that more volume equals plump, pouty lips. But a much more natural-looking result requires a deft hand because it has more to do with subtly changing the structure, building the height of the top and bottom lips with hyaluronic acid filler and perhaps perking up the Cupid’s box with a strategically placed neurotoxin.

Each of these changes can be measured in millimeters. But take in the whole picture and you’ll see that the difference is in the details.

Subtle rarely means simple

Increasingly, certain fillers are also being used as a framework for the face. As we age, we lose fat in some prominent places. To help restore those contours, filler is placed more deeply under the skin, often right up against the bone. The technique has the effect of restoring the foundation without leaving the face looking overstuffed.

With experience, surgeons can now also enhance the highly individual variations of the face, judiciously placing robust hyaluronic acid gels or longer-lasting Radiesse at key points. By redefining angles and contours, rather than erasing them, as once was standard, the change is subtle, but undeniable.

Subtle is a term that features prominently in plastic surgery consultations these days. Few among us are looking for wholesale changes. We simply want to look like the best version of ourselves. But from a surgeon’s perspective, the smaller the alteration, the greater the degree of difficulty. Which is to say that we’ve arrived at this point not by chance but by evolution.