Younger People Seeking Cosmetic Procedures
It’s a fairly common accepted observation that cosmetic surgery has become more accepted in today’s culture. Cosmetic surgery and procedures are no longer viewed as taboo and more people are more open with having “work done.” The major influence is cultural acceptance and, in some cases, even embracement by the media. The primary influence? Celebrities. With wider acceptance of cosmetic procedures, there is also the increased development of the latest trend. The latest trend is that more younger patients are seeking aesthetic procedures.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) recently released the results of its annual member survey. One discovery from that survey was more younger patients are seeking aesthetic procedures. In 2015, 64% of member facial plastic surgeons witnessed an increase in cosmetic surgery or injectable treatments in patients under age 30. As mentioned previously, a major influence for this trend is celebrities. For example, when Kylie Jenner revealed she had lip injections, many plastic surgeons reported seeing more young girls coming in requesting lip augmentation—some even bringing in photos of Ms. Jenner. According to the AAFPRS annual survey, the top three trends in 2015 were people requesting natural-looking rhinoplasty results (74%), combined surgical and nonsurgical procedures (72%), and eyelid procedures to look less tired (71%). More than half of surgeons also noted an increase in patients requesting cheekbone enhancement (56%) and people turning to cosmetic procedures to remain competitive in the workforce (51%).
BOTOX® (Allergan), along with Dysport® (Galderma) and Xeomin® (Merz), remains the most popular minimally invasive procedure for both women and men, followed by hyaluronic acid fillers (ie. Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero). The top surgical procedures include rhinoplasty (nose surgery), followed by blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and facelifts. Unfortunately, the rise in cosmetic procedures has also been tied with a troubling immense rise in nonmedical agents offering injectables. As gyms, salons, free-lancing nurses etc start to offer Botox and fillers in their businesses (or even homes), it runs the risk of commoditizing and demedicalizing what are actually medical procedures that should be performed in a controlled environment by a highly trained healthcare professional. On the flip side, patients are also becoming more educated thanks to the wealth of information available on the Internet.
So why are more younger patients eager to get aesthetic procedures? A major reason is the emphasis on early maintenance starting in the twenties and thirties to avoid larger procedures and delay the need for cosmetic surgery down the road. Muscle neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport relax facial muscles that contribute to wrinkles. By getting regular Botox injections at an earlier age, the strategy is to delay the onset of deep wrinkles that may require surgery or facial resurfacing to address. Non-surgical procedures like injectable fillers can help preserve one’s youthful look as one ages.
Not surprisingly, the survey also found that the top concern among patients was finding a surgeon whom they could trust. This concern was followed by worries about the costs, recovery and results. Their least concern was pain and discomfort, perhaps attributed to improved methods of topical anesthesia and upgraded fillers with lidocaine incorporated into the products. Your face is the most visible part of your body and results are related to the expertise of the injector. I’ve heard of numerous stories of patients going with the least expensive option and then regretting the result. Though Botox and most injectable fillers are very safe, they should still be performed by highly trained medical professionals.
Dr. Kenneth Yu Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in San Antonio, Texas has a qualified team of experts available to help you. To schedule a consultation, please contact our Concierge Patient Coordinator at (210) 876-6868 or info@dryuplasticsurgery.com.
