The Major Way Plastic Surgery Has Changed Over the Years

We had no idea.

By NewBeauty Editors · Jan 3, 2019

Photo Credits: Jessica Peterson/ Getty Images | Image Used for Illustrative Purpose Only

plastic — Photo Credits: Jessica Peterson/ Getty Images | Image Used for Illustrative Purpose Only

There’s a recent shift away from the unnatural look—a pulled-too-tight face, eyebrows that sit high on the face and overtly large breasts—and toward a soft and natural one. “The aesthetic that people look for changes and is always influenced by pop culture. Right now it’s about looking like you haven’t had anything done,” says San Jose, CA, plastic surgeon Kamakshi R. Zeidler, MD.

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Before there were noninvasive skin tighteners, injectables and fillers, and volume restoration techniques, it was commonplace to see women who had plastic surgery boasting the telltale signs of it and looking like a plastic version of themselves.

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“In the past, plastic surgery was more recognizable and obvious,” says El Paso, TX, plastic surgeon Frank Agullo, MD. “Silicone breast implants were big and round, and facial work could leave you looking like the Cheshire cat.”

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Most facial plastic surgery was about taking away the excess, regardless of whether it was on the nose, face or eyes.

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Options were limited. For example, when it came to breast implants, Dr. Zeidler says the only option was saline implants, which often gave a very round and hard look, especially if they were overfilled.

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La Jolla, CA, plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD, says surgery is now about adding to areas where there is a deficiency and taking away from those where there is excess.

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There has been a change in aesthetic ideals, and the techniques and tools that surgeons have at their disposal have improved, giving way to better results. “Breast augmentation patients now have other types of implants to choose from that give more natural-looking fullness that’s still sexy,” says Dr. Zeidler.

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Complementary procedures are usually done to make the most of a surgical procedure and achieve a natural look. For example, it’s rare to have a facelift without having some sort of volume replacement done, too, be it fat or fillers.