It’s natural in our business to look back at the end of a year and reflect on the events and trends that shaped plastic surgery in our Marin County practice and throughout the nation. Those ranged from the increased use of non-surgical treatments to Kim Kardashian’s attempt to “break the Internet” with photos that stirred up interest in enhancing the buttocks. Many cosmetic procedures and events created buzz on the internet in 2014, but we’ve focused on a few of the biggest trends we saw at our practice this year:
- The popularity of injectable treatments, especially to restore facial volume: The FDA’s approval of JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC in late 2013 resulted in a sustained interest in the product throughout 2014 that shows no signs of waning. VOLUMA XC was the first product approved for treating lost volume in the cheeks, and it has lived up to its promise. Patients are now interested not only in reducing wrinkles but also in restoring volume to areas of the face that appear sunken, all through the uses of simple, non-surgical injections.
- Non-surgical body contouring: Speaking of minimally invasive treatments, let’s talk about CoolSculpting®. This non-surgical treatment uses cold energy to kill fat cells in quick sessions, making it a favorite among patients here in Marin and nationwide in 2014. More people are benefitting from its easy, impressive results than ever before.
- “Natural-looking” breast augmentation: More and more women are telling us they want their breasts to look both bigger and still very natural. Upper pole fullness — the rounder appearance in the top of the breasts that was often associated with breast augmentation in the past — is less popular these days. The development of highly cohesive silicone gel implants (often referred to as “gummy bear” implants) that are available in teardrop-shaped styles is one of the reasons for this trend. The shaped implants emphasize fullness in the lower two-thirds of the breast, which better resembles a breast’s natural slope.
- Rail-thin is out, and curves are in: The influence of Kim Kardashian and other celebrities with curvy figures can be seen in the rising popularity of procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts. We’ve heard from plastic surgery patients from Santa Rosa to San Francisco about buttock lifts, which statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons® show is one of the hottest procedures around.
So that was this past year in review. Do you think these trends have staying power? What do you expect to see in the cosmetic enhancement world in 2015? Let us know in a comment.
