trends

UK Cosmetic Surgeon Reveals Top Surgical Trends

January 3, 2018 by Laura Casewell

Mummy makeovers, boob jobs and body rejuvenation surgery have led the way in 2017, says Mr Gary Ross, a plastic surgeon from Manchester.

Providing a yearly review, the surgeon also noted that non-surgical anti ageing treatments had also seen a surge on popularity, although it was fat transfer replacing dermal fillers that was set to be the big news for 2018 and beyond.

Mr Ross – who consults and operates at the BMI Alexandra hospital in Cheshire – indicated multi-procedure treatments such as the mummy makeover was the main cosmetic rise of the year, which includes combining breast and body procedures within one surgery session to minimise downtime.

He says: “Overall non surgical procedures have again increased as patients look for cosmetic treatments with less downtime. This has also led to patients looking for surgical procedures with shorter recovery times.

“Surgically the biggest rise has been in the mummy makeover procedure, with patients requesting body and breast rejuvenation as a one-stage procedure. Breast augmentation remains the most requested surgical treatment although patients are currently looking for more subtle enhancements than a year ago,” he explains.

As well as body rejuvenation procedures, Mr Ross says there’s been great interest in fat transfer procedures – extracting fat from one part of the body and replacing in the face or another part of the body) which is set to gain further popularity in 2018 thanks to its ability to offer an alternative to dermal fillers in facial rejuvenation.

“Fat transfer is an increasingly popular form of facial and body rejuvenation and will be big news for the coming year. Transferring fat from one part of the body to another isn’t new, but it will become a much more well known treatment as it’s versatile and offers natural results – the biggest draw for patients by far.”

Contrastingly, there has been a downward trend in patients requesting buttock augmentation (compared to a year ago) as patients consider more the pros and cons of the butt augmentation procedure. Also on the decline is patients requesting the ‘fake look’, which more naturally beautiful celebrities rather than glamour girls being popular with female patients.

“In 2018 there will be an increasing trend towards individualised and personalised beauty with a shift away from the ‘one product/treatment fits all’. The shifting focus in skincare brands towards individualised care will lead to a more holistic approach towards cosmetic beauty and advanced treatments too.”

A member of BAAPS and BAPRAS, Gary says the focus on patient empowerment – and ensuring they understand more about the procedures they are choosing to undergo – means this has been a positive year for the aesthetics industry.

He says: “The increased awareness of the need for patient safety has dominated 2017 and has been a positive year for the industry. We are seeing more of a focus on patient empowerment and ensuring patients are fully informed to proceed or not which is imperative for the industry and most importantly for patients.”

The updated General Medical Council recommendations in relation to consent have highlighted the need for clinicians to ensure patients are fully informed. The adaption of the certification scheme in cosmetic surgery in 2017 through the Royal College of Surgeons has developed the speciality of cosmetic surgery.

“This will allow patients to choose a cosmetic surgeon that is able to fully inform patients regarding the available options so that they are fully empowered to proceed or not,” says Mr Ross.

“Health Education England continues to develop a way forward in the regulation of non surgical treatments and we look forward to further regulatory developments in non surgical treatments in 2018.”

Of his hopes for the cosmetic industry as we enter 2018 Gary says: “I hope that the focus on patient empowerment continues into next year with clinicians focusing increasingly on patient’s interests and placing safety above anything else.”

Industry Insider: What will the Aesthetic Industry look like in Ten Years’ Time?

January 28, 2016 by CarlFrascina

The aesthetic industry is constantly growing at a rapid pace, from the number of treatments being performed, to the new and advances in technology, as well as the number of those wanting to work in the industry. Julie Brackenbury (pictured) comments on what she thinks will be the main changes in the ever evolving discipline of aesthetic medicine in 2026.

Cosmetic surgery V non-surgical procedures

It is not uncommon knowledge that with the new technology available on the market, cosmetic invasive surgery could see figures dramatically decline over the next decade. Statistics released from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons in 2015 revealed that that cosmetic surgical procedures had decreased by 9% overall since 2013, with some procedures falling considerably more out of favour than others. Interestingly, those procedures on the up the up for men and women combined were face/neck Lift, breast reduction and liposuction. At the time, Michael Cadier, consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS President commented that from these statistics; “the message to the aesthetic sector is clear: patients want subtle and understated – most refreshingly, they are doing their research, taking their time and coming to us with realistic expectations”. However, as a non-surgical specialist, this does not always match the culture of the consumer seeking anti-aging injections and treatment.

The frown of downtime

In the fast paced society we live in today, where downtime is quite literally frowned upon and simply out of the question for most, men and women across the UK are seeking cheaper, less invasive alternatives to maintain their youth. Soon, the scalpel will be seen as an old school practice and to some, it already is, whilst completely non-invasive, non-surgical alternatives are constantly being developed. Of course, there will always be a place for aesthetic plastic surgery, but it would be reasonable to suggest that over the next few generations, as people start to look younger with non-surgical procedures from an earlier age than in previous generations, going under the knife may not be required for some.

Evidence -based research and practice

Traditional surgical procedures being are replaced by non-surgical options such as advanced cannuale and threading techniques, lasers, radiofrequency and medical skin line products, with potent ingredients that are far more effective in comparison to over the counter products. In addition, from a non-surgical body perspective, we are also seeing more non-invasive skin tightening and fat reduction technologies improving. The predictable and consistent results they achieve in the future will ultimately reduce the demand for surgical procedures. However, this efficacy should rely on evidenced based research to procedure long-term credibility. Currently, we are a bit behind the times with this and need to be making aesthetic clinical research a priority, especially if we still want to be perceived as the experts in the industry.

Increase in the aesthetic work force

Julie predicts that more nurses and doctors will be joining the industry, as well as unqualified personnel. Unfortunately, the link between earnings and aesthetic practice can give rise to concern, causing some us to question the ethics of those in the industry. As professionals, we will really need to be ensuring that our practice clearly differentiates between that of unqualified personnel.

If we are looking at what aesthetic medicine will look like in ten years’ time, we need to be looking at what the advances in social media will be like

The demand for aesthetic treatments has been driven by a wide range of social, economic and technological factors. Treatment interventions have now been normalised and will continue to do so. If we are going to look at the future of aesthetic medicine, we need to consider the future of social media, and that is another article in itself. It seems that the both, dare it be said, do seem to go hand in hand. A 2013 report from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery proves this. It claimed that “33 percent of surgeons have seen an increase in requests for plastic surgery as a result of patients being more self-aware of their looks because of social media.” Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the explosion of platforms designed to circulate one’s image to hundreds, thousands, or millions of people at a time would create a somewhat immediate rush to correct any perceived flaws. Least not forget, that there are tools to “edit” and “tweak” the selfie and social media continues to dominate more and more of the cultural discourse, which could lead to an even bigger demand for artificial enhancements to the human body as well as other treatment. Experts predict that the future of social media will be on a more virtual platform and next level reality. Take this and then combine it with for example, an advanced tool to demonstrate what one’s can appearance can look like post a cosmetic procedure, as well as being able to show this to the world – we could be heading for a society that becomes far more demanding, and managing expectation could become a case of managing the designer face and body selfie devised by advanced technology.

Psychological aspects

With the estimated continuous rise of overall body dissatisfaction within the population, it is likely that more diagnoses of body dysmorphic disorder will increase and require intervention. With the cross-over of social media and the need for perfection, we are heading down a very slippery slope which should cause us concern for our future generations.

Rise in litigation

There is no doubt that as the public demand increases for cosmetic procedures, so will litigation. The problem we have is that non-surgical cosmetic procedures tend to be less expensive than the surgical equivalent, and are viewed by many as having fewer associated risks and quicker results. That said, as with any type of procedure, there are potential risks.

Conclusion

With an aging population, pressure to look youthful and a reduction in the stigma around cosmetic procedures, the growth of the profession and industry only looks set to increase. Let’s be prepared and start raising our professional presence and continue to address the important issues with immediate effect.

Selfie craze boosts demand in plastic surgery

January 28, 2016 by CarlFrascina

The ‘selfie’ trend has prompted an increase in the number of requests for cosmetic surgery as patients have become more aware of their appearances due to active use of social media.

With the heightened use of smartphones and taking selfie photograph has led to much younger patients taking an interest in such procedures, according to cosmetic surgeon Professor Ahmet Karacalar.

Karacalar said that young patients previously requested cosmetic surgery under serious conditions, however they now come to him complaining about their displeasure with the way they look in selfies and are willing to undergo cosmetic surgery.

“More youth now want to have facial cosmetic surgery. Previously, most of my patients were those suffering from serious facial damage or other above 50. They were all age-related cosmetic demands. Now, I have patients aged between 13 and 19,” Karacalar said.

Social media pressure triggers the request for cosmetic surgery, he continued.

“I hear young people say that their nose looks too big in selfie photos or they have bags under their eyes. In general, cosmetic surgery is suitable for patients over 18 as they undergo physical changes during adolescence period. If the patient has psychological or functional problems due to his appearance, then we suggest cosmetic surgery for younger people,” he said.

The fact that selfie photos are close-up shots, people see their face bigger than it is in normal looking.

“This is a big misconception. The appearance of our real face is different to what you see in a selfie photo. This is why the young generation exaggerates any small deformations and want to change it,” he said.

A survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) also demonstrated that social media makes us more conscious of our looks. One in three facial plastic surgeons in the poll reported that the popular trend of selfie photos has boosted the demand for plastic surgery.

“Social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, which are solely image-based, force patients to hold a microscope up to their own image and often look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before,” said the AAFPRS President Edward Farrior in a press release.

The AAFPRS also reported that plastic surgeons saw an increase in cosmetic surgery among patients younger than 30.