From influencers to the influenced, certain trends have set a leading role in the cosmetic surgery sector for a number of years. However, for 2023, the dynamic is starting to shift towards a different direction. SPA+CLINIC caught up with Dr David Topchian (MBBS FRACGP FACCSM), a leading cosmetic surgeon, to discuss his thoughts on what 2023 will have in store for cosmetic surgery trends.

What do you think will be the major focuses of cosmetic procedure trends in 2023? Will there be a shift from the existing trends?

I think the future is natural – treatments that encourage our own body’s natural healing and rejuvenation mechanisms, rather than rely on a synthetic or laboratory made product.

Technology in our industry moves very quickly but at the same time there’s a lot of hype that doesn’t deliver promised results.

For each person they need to find a balance between the amount of improvement they are wanting with the risks of the procedure they are considering. There will be a ‘sweet spot’ for each person depending on what their priority is (eg. recovery time, budget, scarring, how often it needs to be repeated).

Fat transfer is a great technique for the right patients, and there are other procedures like liposuction that essentially leave no scarring and can look very natural. So perhaps less bottoms looking like Kim’s, and more subtle breast enhancements.

In your opinion, what would be the driving factors towards these proposed trends?

Changes in fashion, and the images that we see in a variety of (social) media platforms, as well as a focus on safety will continue to evolve treatment options. There is also an increased demand for treatments with less down time, or that are less invasive, the two often go hand in hand.

What are your thoughts on patients seeking procedures due to what is ’trending’?

With social media there is a huge focus on trends, before and after images & video content, and being able to create a curated snapshot of our lives and selves. There is no doubt we are being influenced. We are, after all, a visual species (30% of our entire brain is dedicated to vision).

How safe are these procedures? What should patients consider before undertaking surgery?

Most patients are happy with their procedure and have a smooth recovery, but often the down sides (recovery, scarring, result, complications) are glossed-over in the marketing and not fully discussed and understood. Cosmetic surgery is surgery. And all surgery has risks. It is important that people considering surgery understand all the things that can happen – and not just focus on that perfect result that they want. Expectation being aligned with reality is the key to a good outcome, and this is achieved through talking with your surgeon.

Is there a potential to reverse these surgeries if patients wish to?

Surgery changes your anatomy and although it may be possible to partially reverse a procedure, obviously it depends on what the procedure is and how much the anatomy has been changed. Skin will contract to a certain degree but may not fully return to its original position or elasticity. Scarring will fade over time but still be slightly visible. However in general there is a good degree of reversibility with most procedures provided not too much tissue has been removed.

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