It’s official: The days of obvious plastic surgery are over. Previously, plastic surgery used to wordlessly announce itself as one walked through the door. You’d run into a friend or colleague and immediately say, “They’ve had work done.” From breast augmentations to face lifts, everything used to be so visually prominent.
Nowadays, plastic surgery has become essentially undetectable. You might look at someone and think they look better than ever, without having any idea what changed or why they look generally great. Recent advancements in plastic surgery have gotten so good, it’s hard to pinpoint who has gotten what — especially when it comes to facial rejuvenation.
“Facial 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,” explains Nashville plastic surgeon and The Aesthetic Society Board Member, Kent “Kye” 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.
For example, Dr. Higdon explains that facial surgery intended to give patients a more youthful look has been refined to eliminate that “pulled-back” overdone appearance. Now, face lift 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. “Minimally invasive techniques are also great options for some patients to get a natural result with minimal recovery,” he adds. “We understand that just having a ‘tuck’ isn’t enough, and that comprehensive rejuvenation — the lift, the fill and the skin treatments — all work together to get the result that looks more natural than ever.”
Facial rejuvenation isn’t the only plastic surgery that’s led to more subtle results over the years, rhinoplasty has shifted as well. “Rhinoplasty was often a reductive procedure, taking away a dorsal hump or shortening a long nose,” explains Dr. Higdon. “Now 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 can also add just that subtle change to make the result go from good to great.” According 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.
This new era of plastic surgery isn’t just due to advancements in technique, though. A lot of the change has to do with a cultural shift as well. While more in-your-face plastic surgery was trendy in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, subtle work is now the norm among celebrities and social media influencers alike.
So, how can you ensure your own plastic surgery comes out natural-looking? Dr. Higdon says to spend the time to get to know your plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon and ensure they are board-certified by their respective boards, which are the American Board of Plastic Surgery for plastic surgeons or the American Board of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery for ENT surgeons performing facial plastic surgery.
Ultimately, subtle work is not just the result of science and technology upgrades; it’s an art form, and choosing a skilled provider will play a major role in ensuring your results are undetectable. With the right artist, your friends and colleagues will be wondering your secret to such a youthful appearance instead of automatically wondering who your plastic surgeon is.
