Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

The demand for preventative, minimally-invasive procedures—particularly among millennials—has never been higher, according to the recently released annual survey from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).

The survey looked at both surgical and minimally-invasive procedures, both of which experienced a significant increase compared to 2018. According to the results, the total number of facial plastic surgery procedures increased by 6% between 2018 and 2019. The year’s most widely performed procedures included rhinoplasty, facelifts, and blepharoplasty (surgery to correct drooping eyelids).

The upward trend was even more prominent among nonsurgical procedures, which increased by 13% over 2018. In fact, minimally-invasive procedures represented 85% of all the procedures performed by those surveyed.

The three most popular minimally-invasive procedures, in order from most to least, were neurotoxins (Botox, Jeuveau), fillers, and skin treatments (lasers and facials). While Botox has been the most popular procedure among patients ages 35 to 55 since 2013, skin treatments experienced the largest growth, with a 39% increase over 2018.

Our fascination with celebrities deepens

It’s been widely reported that our selfie obsession is having a direct and noticeable impact on cosmetic surgery trends, and the AAFPRS survey continued to reinforce that idea. Among those surveyed, 72% reported seeing patients who sought cosmetic procedures in order to “look better for selfies.”

Though, celebrities proved to be an even greater influence, with 84% of those surveyed agreeing that celebrities have a “moderate-to-great” influence on facial plastic surgery trends, a 6% increase over 2018. Cited as the most influential of them all: Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian West, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper.

It wasn’t included in the survey, but there’s also something to be said about the cross-section between social media and celebrities. “Social media gives us intimate access to people that we otherwise would not have any contact with,” Mary Lynn Moran, MD, president of the AAFPRS, told Allure magazine. “Increasingly, people are willing to share what procedures they have done to look the way they do, which destigmatizes the subject. As we study what subtle and more dramatic changes can do to improve someone’s appearance, we become more educated about what we are drawn to and are more likely to elect to make changes in our own appearance.”

‘Prejuvenation’ is the future

When asked to predict future trends, survey respondents overwhelmingly (73%) cited preventative treatments among millennials, or “prejuvenation,” as they’ve been dubbed. The idea behind the concept is that having minimally-invasive treatments at a younger age will help stave off the need for surgical interventions later in life.

How conscious are you of your jawline? Probably far more than you’d like to be. Whether you choose to stick your chin out or press your tongue against the roof of your mouth in photos and, as often as you can, in person, you’re constantly accommodating. And you’re not alone. Just about all of us do it, to varying degrees.

Our skin begins to thin in our 20s. Around age 50, we start losing bone, fat, and muscle in our jaws, which can have the effect of making the jowls look looser and much more prominent. For a long time, the only procedure that could do anything about them was a facelift. But now there are a number of noninvasive ways to get the capital-V jawline we covet.

Filler

Believe it or not, a stiff filler—yes, fillers have different consistencies—like Radiesse or Restylane, can compensate for a shrinking jawbone. Injections in the jaw under the chin and ears can add structure where the mandible bone has shrunk. If further support is needed, injections can be placed all along the jawline, which should be sufficient to lift and smooth the entire jaw for someone with mild to moderate sagging.

Kybella

Sun damage and genetics are two of the main causes of aging skin. On top of that, gravity is constantly working against your jaw (and breasts). A pocket of fat under your chin, AKA a double chin, only compounds matters. We can’t undo gravity, but there’s a simple solution for the double chin. Kybella is an injectable, synthetic form of a fat dissolver that exists naturally in your body called deoxycholic acid.

Essentially, Kybella breaks down fat cells so they can be flushed out of the body by your circulatory and lymphatic systems. It’ll not only get rid of your double chin, it’ll also tighten tissue around the injection site, which could help stave off sagging over the long term.

Radiofrequency

Different kinds of noninvasive radiofrequency treatments, like Thermage, heat up deep layers of the skin, which causes controlled damage that stimulates new collagen and ultimately firms the skin. Many who use it for tightening aging tissue along the jaw do so in combination with fillers to achieve a capital-v jawline.

Botulinum toxin type A

If you’re more concerned about a square jaw than sagging jowls, injecting a botulinum toxin type A, like Botox or Jeuveau, into the muscles at the edge of your jaw will relax the muscle, narrow the lower half of your face by a couple millimeters, and smooth the jaw. It’s proven to be an especially effective treatment for teeth grinders, whose jaw muscles can bulk up over time. As a secondary benefit in that instance, relaxing the muscles also usually relieves the chronic headaches caused by grinding.