The Cosmetic Treatments People Are Asking For Most

Few can deny that cosmetic treatments are more mainstream now than ever before. Due in part to the popularity of social media and the innovations of the past decade alone (both surgical and nonsurgical), some procedures stand out more than others. Here’s what two doctors—a plastic surgeon and a dermatologist—say they are seeing most, as well as what they think their industries will look like in the future.

What the Dermatologist Says
“Patients used to want to come in only once and do as much as possible in one visit,” explains San Antonio dermatologist Vivian Bucay, MD. “Now, people want a natural look and are willing to come in more often for smaller treatments.”

Dr. Bucay says her most requested procedures continue to be neuromodulators, such as Botox and Dysport, and fillers, like Juvéderm and Restylane. However, the overall trend she has noticed most is that more and more patients are requesting long-term maintenance plans for healthy skin with the goal of maintaining a youthful appearance.

Kybella, the new nonsurgical treatment to correct a double chin, is a noninvasive option that is also popular among Dr. Bucay’s patients, and a treatment she believes will continue to gain popularity among the growing male market because it addresses common physical concerns men may have without the risk of looking too feminine.

What the Plastic Surgeon Says
There’s a “general trend in the media and Hollywood today where natural elegance is being highlighted more often rather than the overdone looks that were more popular in the past,” says Orange County, CA, plastic surgeon Andrew Smith, MD.

According to Dr. Smith, women today are focused on the best way to get natural-looking breasts, rather than bigger breasts. The use of shape silicone gel implants (for both augmentations and reconstructions) is one of the most popular procedures at his practice for this reason.

Dr. Smith is also impressed with Juvéderm Voluma to volumize the cheek area. Traditionally, restoring this area of the face would require a facelift or fat grafting, but now there’s a “great injectable option to improve this area, which is much more convenient for patients.”