All of us have hoped that COVID-19 pandemic would be gone, and our lives could resume some sense of normalcy. While that unfortunately will not be the case, aesthetic industry has to create safe environments to allow patients to continue with their scheduled aesthetic procedures as planned, from noninvasive lasers to operating-room surgeries.
Aesthetic procedures, in general, seem to be trending. Reading to learn more about the 5 biggest aesthetic surgery trends for 2021 you can expect.
Everything for the face
Mask wearing has fueled high demand for procedures around the eyes. Even if the vaccine eradicates COVID-19, mask wearing could be long term. When wearing a mask, “You can only see the upper third of the face, so a lot of treatments today focus on the eyes,” says Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera, Board Certified Dermatologist and Dermatologic Surgeon from the American College of Osteopathic Dermatology.
“We’re calling it now: 2021 will continue to be an eye opener. Who knows how long masks will be part of our daily ensemble,” says Dr. Dara Liotta, a double board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New York City. She predicts patients will choose to combine “minor eye-optimizing surgeries” that “provide natural-looking, permanent results” (think: upper eyelid blepharoplasty) with non-surgical enhancements (like the Botox® Brow Lift and lateral cheekbone and under eye filler) to “lighten and brighten the area around the eyes.”
That is not to say that people do not want to address the lower face. The Aesthetic Guide indicates that zoom and other virtual platforms are thought to have driven demand for aesthetic fixes for the lower third of the face and neck as well. In essence, the pandemic has spiked demand for facial aesthetic procedures.
Off-the-face trends
Plastic surgeon Renato Saltz, MD, a board certified plastic reconstructive surgeon in Park City & Salt Lake City, UT, indicated that demand for nonsurgical procedures aimed at off-the-face fat reduction, skin tightening and more is high, and likely will remain that way.
“Being in practice for almost 30 years, it is a whole different world. Patients do not want to go through general anesthesia and if there is a viable option, why should they when they can sit and watch a movie while they get their flanks frozen?” Dr. Saltz said.
Dr. Saltz is seeing great results with radiofrequency (RF) microneedling. Early on, RF was applied superficially and providers saw some improvement. Now microneedling technology delivers the energy down into the dermis, resulting in much better skin tightening, he said.
Another technology to make its mark off the face is BroadBand Light (BBL), which is more effective than the old intense pulsed light (IPL) for skin tightening and improvement of sun damage, according to Dr. Saltz.
Say goodbye to oversized breast and butt implants
According to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Elliot Hirsch, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, it is predicted to be a decrease in requests for both oversized breast and butt implants in 2021 — largely because of safety concerns. “Our breast augmentation patients are asking for smaller, more natural implants,” Hirsch explained. “This is partly for cosmetic reasons, and partly for safety, as it is well-known that large implants can stretch breast skin and lead to problems later.” Not only are many women going for smaller additions to their existing cleavage, but many are also scheduling procedures to remove their implants, Hirsch added. “Many patients are also opting to remove implants for various reasons, including age and health concerns,” he explained.
Below the waist, Hirsch is seeing the same trend, for the same reasons. “Patients who want butt lifts are asking for smaller sizes, with more of an emphasis on shape rather than volume,” he said. “This is very important from a safety standpoint, as a Brazilian butt lift has the highest risk of death out of all plastic surgery procedures, with rates reported as high as one in 3,000.” Why is the procedure so dangerous? Hirsch said that fat entering the blood vessels during the injection is dangerous. A safer alternative is placing “the fat more above the muscle, which limits volume but still allows contouring and shaping with greater safety,” he explained.
Patient & practice trends
One of the trends we might see is the change in thinking about what brings patients to the office, Dr. Saltz. indicatd.
“It is not the website. The website is just for credentials. It is reviews. Reviews are huge,” Dr. Saltz disclosed.
Zoom and similar platforms continue to drive referrals for facial procedures. “We are all participating in and becoming better at virtual communications and that will continue to drive patients to the office because we are looking at ourselves,” he said.
Conversely, Dr. Saltz and his colleagues are observing diminishing impact from social media influencers. “I see more and more referrals from podcasts that talk about aesthetics and beauty,” he shared.
Finally, demand for skincare, especially physician-dispensed cosmeceuticals that are based on science, continues to climb, Dr. Saltz revealed.
Today’s topicals have expanded indications, including for rejuvenating the neck and improving body contouring outcomes, he specified.
Combination treatments
“I see more people combining surgery with nonsurgical treatments to create more comprehensive facial rejuvenation, and this will be even more popular in years to come. Tremendous advances have been made in the last decade, improving skin-care and nonsurgical treatments of the face and neck. These treatments include better, longer-lasting fillers; neurotoxins such as Botox; lasers; and radio-frequency devices. Fat grafting is now a common addition to facial rejuvenation surgery, restoring areas of loss due to aging, and can also be a highly effective complement to body-contouring surgery – the use of a person’s own fat to improve fullness in areas where fat is lacking.” – Houston plastic surgeon Christopher Patronella, MD.