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It\u2019s official: The days of obvious plastic surgery are over. Previously, plastic surgery used to wordlessly announce itself as one walked through the door. You\u2019d run into a friend or colleague and immediately say, \u201cThey\u2019ve had work done.\u201d From breast augmentations to facelifts, everything used to be so visually prominent.<\/p>\n
Today, plastic surgery has become far more discreet. You might look at someone and think they look better than ever, without having any idea what changed or why they look generally great. Thanks to advancements in technique and technology, results are increasingly difficult to pinpoint, especially when it comes to facial rejuvenation.<\/p>\n
\u201cFacial rejuvenation has seen a massive change over the last several years, with advances in surgical technique but also with innovations in skin care and nonsurgical treatments,\u201d explains Nashville plastic surgeon and The Aesthetic Society Board Member, Kent \u201cKye\u201d Higdon, MD, adding that to get your desired result, doctors now opt for a more comprehensive treatment plan than in the past, taking into account more than just the surgical solutions.<\/p>\n
For example, Dr. Higdon explains that facial surgery intended to give patients a more youthful look has been refined to eliminate that \u201cpulled-back\u201d overdone appearance. Now, facelift techniques such as the SMAS flap, SMAS plication or deep plane lifting are considered together with restoring volume with fat grafting, fillers or a combination of both. \u201cMinimally invasive techniques are also great options for some patients to get a natural result with minimal recovery,\u201d he adds.\u00a0\u201cWe understand that just having a \u2018tuck\u2019 isn\u2019t enough, and that comprehensive rejuvenation\u2014the lift, the fill and the skin treatments\u2014all work together to get the result that looks more natural than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Facial rejuvenation isn\u2019t the only plastic surgery that\u2019s led to more subtle results over the years. Rhinoplasty has shifted as well. \u201cRhinoplasty was often a reductive procedure, taking away a dorsal hump or shortening a long nose,\u201d explains Dr. Higdon.\u00a0\u201cNow we have advanced techniques that allow plastic surgeons to add as well as subtract, taking advantage of cartilage grafts that add projection, open airways and create subtle refinements that take results from good to great.\u201d \u00a0According to Dr. Higdon, one of the hottest new techniques in rhinoplasty is the concept of preservation rhinoplasty, which keeps intact much of the nasal bone and cartilage with minimal removal, thereby achieving a more natural and less operated look and enhancing the result.<\/p>\n
This new era of plastic surgery isn\u2019t driven by technique alone\u2014it also reflects a broader cultural shift. While more in-your-face plastic surgery was trendy in the late \u201890s and early 2000s, subtle work is now the norm among celebrities and social media influencers alike.<\/p>\n
So how can patients help ensure natural-looking results? Dr. Higdon advises taking the time to thoroughly research and connect with a provider\u2014and to confirm they\u2019re board-certified. For plastic surgeons, that means certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; for facial plastic surgeons, certification through the American Board of Otolaryngology\u2013Head and Neck Surgery.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, subtle results aren\u2019t just about improved tools or techniques; they\u2019re about artistry. With the right expert, friends and colleagues will be wondering your secret to such a youthful appearance instead of automatically wondering who your plastic surgeon is.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n