Plastic Surgery Trends for 2012

Every year, new technologies and medical breakthroughs are being introduced by scientists and plastic surgeons to make cosmetic surgery safer and more effective.  In fact, some experts believe that sooner or later, patients will no longer need synthetic implants to increase the size of their breasts and buttocks.

Perhaps one of the growing trends in plastic surgery is the minimally invasive facelift, which is ideal for patients aged between 35 and 45 who have “isolated” sagging and wrinkles.  The procedure—which is usually conducted under local anesthesia and is combined with laser treatment to tighten skin and other minor surgeries—allows older people to postpone a more invasive facial rejuvenation surgery.

The good thing about mini facelift is the shorter recovery period; in fact, patients can resume most of their normal activities just four to five days after the surgery.

Another new breakthrough and growing trend is the use of a very fine tube that allows plastic surgeons to conduct lip augmentation and soft tissue filler for the aging face with little to no downtime and less bruising.  And because of the device’s precision, it would be easier to achieve the best results possible.

During the previous years, breast augmentation, more often than not, was performed as a way to achieve the “larger than life look.”  But nowadays, plastic surgeons have noticed that a growing number of women choose smaller breast implants and previous patients who are asking to downsize their implants.

Experts believe that most women nowadays seek the natural appearance rather than the “heavy” top look.  In fact, this growing trend can be seen in the way Hollywood celebrities make their decision; for instance, Kate Hudson has chosen small breast implants in 2010 that no one would even know she had surgery if not for her previous pictures.

As with the previous years, breast augmentation will still remain one of the most sought-after procedures in 2012 especially with the introduction of a new 3D technology called Vectra, which allows the patients to visualize the final result of the procedure.

The good thing about Vectra is that it can also be applied to a wide range of cosmetic plastic surgery including rhinoplasty (“nose job”),liposuction, and body contouring surgeries.

But still, stem cell is seen as the most promising development in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.  While the potential of this type of cell has not been fully harnessed, scientists and plastic surgeons are expected to further focus their attention on how to make the technology work more effectively and safer to their patients.