The Aesthetic Society has more than 2,600 board-certified plastic surgeons comprising its membership and reportedly has shared their input on what lies ahead for the aesthetic industry in terms of specific trends in the age of COVID-19, mask-wearing, and increase in video calls, include the following coveted procedures:
• Jawline contouring will gain popularity this year since people are spending hours on video calls, and complaints of extra skin or fat underneath their neck is growing. Patients want a sharp neck contour and the demand for these surgeries is rising.
• Liposuction is likely to surpass breast augmentation in terms of demand, in 2021. Lockdowns have meant that people have been indoors and unable to go to the gym; many people have gained weight and are looking for options for improvement.
• Men will seek subtle aesthetic procedures that have a high impact like blepharoplasty, which has been gaining popularity over the past 10 years. This type of procedure offers a dramatically younger appearance, and with masks having become a daily affair, eyes will remain in focus.
• Body contouring and liposuction will also continue being popular treatments for men. WFH has resulted in less outdoors time, less travel and more snacking. With offices remaining closed, recovery post-surgery is far easier.
• Prevention is the mantra for younger patients. They tend to be better informed about plastic surgery procedures because freely available content on social media. The younger population is accustomed to injectable and fillers as a regular part of grooming; this has resulted in the popularity of facial injectable skyrocketing.
Predictions on what should be phased out:
• “Foxy eyes” have been trending as a procedure on social media, especially since they are promoted by celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid who have ‘lifted’ their eyebrows. Dermal threads are used to lift the eyebrows, giving eyes an almond shape. However, there are risks involved is this procedure and members of the Aesthetic Society advise against doing aesthetic procedures simply because they are trendy. Members of the Aesthetic Society are dedicated to safety and continue to educate patients and physicians on safety protocols for aesthetic surgeries in 2021.