Top 5 latest trends in cosmetic surgery

by Courtney Caplin
Cosmetic Surgery Columnist

There are many types of cosmetic approaches to making ourselves look better. Where there are many ways to looking younger or simply changing something we don’t particularly like about our look, here are the Top 5 latest trends:

1. Bro-tox - Because why should girls have all the fun? The Man-Bun was first, but Botox was short to follow. Let’s face it though, no one wants to look older; we all want to age gracefully no matter what gender we are or how we identify.

The number one biggest trend, without a doubt, has to go to men coming in for Botox. Botox is a tiny toxin that paralyzes the muscles that form wrinkles. Middle-age and older men can treat the wrinkles they already have, while younger men are coming in to prevent their wrinkles from ever forming. At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates (CSA), only trained cosmetic surgeons perform your injections - no nurse injectors.

2. I like big butts and I cannot lie - Brazilian Butt Lifts:A Brazilian Butt Lift is essentially rearranging your own inventory. Liposuction is performed where there is excess fat (also known as adipose tissue) and then transferred to the buttocks. The most common area that fat is taken from is the abdomen and love handles. The buttocks are typically overfilled to be bigger than desired as we know that approximately one-third to one-half of the transferred cells will die.

However, for the cells that live, they should last. You can learn more about the process, recovery and fees at www.bit.ly/gayly30.

3. The Gummy Bear:The Gummy Bear is the latest and greatest breast implant and in my opinion, is the implant of the future. It is a highly cohesive gel and has the least amount of rippling, the lowest rate of scar tissue formation and the best upper chest fullness for cleavage.

It is called a "gummy bear" because if you were to cut it in half, it acts like a gummy bear and maintains its shape without the gel spilling everywhere. During a consultation, patients can feel each style of implant (the gummy, regular silicone and saline) to help decide which implant is the right one for them.

4. Medical lip plumper - plump your lips without the needles:At CSA, we offer surgical and non-surgical options for creating fuller lips. The most common is injecting either Juvederm or Restalyne filler into the lips. Both products are made of hyaluronic acid and can last between 6-12 months depending on the product.

The latest trend has been to avoid the needle all together and create a topical hyaluronic acid in a two-step gloss delivering system called HA5 Lip System. A very mild tingle is felt when applied, and while an immediate hydration is seen, over time the body absorbs the ingredients and fuller lips are created.

For those wanting a permanent solution, we also offer Silikon 1000 which is a medical grade silicone injected in micro-droplets. The silicone itself acts like a filler but it is also an irritant, stimulating your own body to create natural collagen slowly enlarging your lips in the most natural way.

As the body responds slowly, and I never want my patients to appear unnatural or overdone, the process is spread out over three to four treatments - slowly “growing” your own lips to your desired shape and size.

5. Neck and jawline definition - the neck lift is not just for 50+ year-old’s anymore:I believe that as a cosmetic surgeon, I can thank Kybella for this one. Kybella is a medication that is injected into the sub-mental fat pad (under the chin) and dissolves the fat there. With the big push in marketing for this non-invasive, injection technique, I have had numerous patients come into the office asking for this product.

While it is effective, it does have limitations. Kybella only dissolves the superficial layer of fat, it does not tighten skin and it takes multiple treatments (meaning months) before a final result.

So, after discussing the different options with my patients, many opt for a more “one and done” procedure like the neck lift. The patient is sedated, and a small incision is made just below the chin crease and all the fat (superficial and deep) is suctioned out. In addition, the platysma (a broad, thin muscle of the neck - that has no function) is sewed together to create a supported and defined neck.

Lastly, if the skin is loose, it can also be removed if needed. This surgery is commonly performed and only takes about 30 minutes.