These 6 Plastic Surgery Trends Will Define 2024, According to Surgeons

Butts Are Shrinking Back Down—But Not Too Much XXL Boobs Are Leaving the Chat All Eyes Are on the Undereyes—Especially For Men

Regardless of how you feel about plastic surgery, the industry is booming. There’s been a 19% increase in surgical, minimally invasive, and reconstructive procedures since 2019, and treatments once sequestered behind closed doors are now blasted across social media with the nonchalance of a new haircut. “Plastic surgery has reached the main stage,” Dr. Jennifer Levine, MD, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in New York City, says of this new era of beauty. “Most people are ready to incorporate procedures into their routines.”

Of course, rhinoplasties and Brazilian Butt Lifts (among other popular procedures) are not to be taken lightly—for the good of your health and your wallet—but openness is a step in the right direction. And now that topical formulas for the face and body are increasingly sophisticated, cosmetic treatments feel like a natural extension of a beauty regimen for anyone curious to take the next step. But what exactly are people asking for when they visit a plastic surgeon?

What's Driving the Trends?

Plastic surgery is susceptible to cultural trends just like any other facet of the beauty industry, with patient requests ebbing and flowing with the latest beauty archetypes. After all, it’s no accident as celebrity waistlines shrink, prescriptions for Ozempic rise right along with the number of annual liposuction procedures (which topped the list of most popular cosmetic surgeries in 2022, up 23% from 2019). As public opinion of what physical attributes we deem “beautiful” changes, the demand for certain treatments also shifts accordingly.

That's not to say that one should seek out plastic surgery to appease anyone other than themselves. On the contrary—by lifting the stigma of procedure shame, we are, hopefully, allowing each other to admit when we are unhappy with something that could potentially be solved.

Coupled with numerous scientific advancements and technologies in the field of aesthetics, it's fair to say that this might be the most interesting year for the plastic surgery market yet. Here's what the experts expect for the top six plastic surgery trends in 2024.

More Measured, Less Extreme Results

A more balanced approach to plastic surgery—wherein doctors encourage patients to be realistic about their potential results—seems to be the central theme for 2024. The era of waltzing into a surgeon’s office and hoping to leave with an entirely different face and body has come and gone, with more natural-looking outcomes taking their place. “Anyone considering plastic surgery needs to be cautious and understand that certain individual results are not necessarily emblematic of what can be achieved for everyone,” says Dr. Adam Kolker, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City. He points to the impact social media has made on the industry, which, while positive for helping to lessen plastic surgery stigma, can often promote unrealistic expectations.

In 2024, however, potential clients will become even savvier about the editing and lighting in before and after photos and results posted by influencers. Whether face or body procedures, Dr. Kolker stresses that when it comes to plastic surgery, "The most meaningful trends I have seen in my practice have been in the pursuit of more subtle and natural results," he says.

After Filler Fatigue, a Return to Facelifts

While the popularity of facial fillers hasn’t dipped significantly, the approach to a more youthful-looking face is changing. “[There’s an idea that] if you put a lot of filler in someone, somehow that prevents aging,” says Dr. Julius Few, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Chicago. “That was never proven by my clinical work. If you overfill someone, you’re stressing the tissue, like a belly stretched through multiple pregnancies. That’s a trend that people are moving away from.”

He adds that he often has discussions with patients who have requested a lot of filler—usually in their mid-to-late 40s and early 50s—about more long-term, definitive solutions for an aging complexion, like a mini facelift. Compared to a traditional facelift, a mini lift focuses on the lower third of the face and neck. “The cheeks don’t need to be lifted as much,” says Dr. Few. He notes that while it’s a shorter surgery (less than two hours) with less undermining and lifting of the skin, “it’s really lifting and tightening the muscle of the face and neck and contouring to make it more youthful.”

Dr. Levine adds that since patient interest in a defined neck and jawline remains high, a mini facelift (or full facelift if you’re slightly older) is the best method to accomplish those goals, especially compared to copious amounts of filler.

A Surge of Body Contouring Options

Call it the Ozempic Effect: A desire for a more svelte physique returned in full force over the last year (if it ever really went away). Since massive weight loss can lead to cosmetic concerns like skin laxity and muscle loss, body contouring procedures are stepping in to address these issues. As Dr. Few explains, “Ozempic has created an increased demand for face and body tightening, which will be a huge trend for 2024.” Dr. Levine anticipates a rise in non-invasive treatments like EmSculpt Neo to help build back muscle paired with skin tightening procedures like Ultherapy to combat sagging skin, which is especially prevalent with rapid weight loss.

In terms of surgical options, liposuction remains the gold standard for removing unwanted fat. However, Dr. Kolker predicts that radiofrequency assisted lipectomy (aka using radiofrequency waves to complement a liposuction procedure) will become increasingly popular since it can promote skin tightening simultaneously. Additionally, the experts all say that stacking treatments for body contouring, like this combination of surgical and non-invasive procedures, will become more common throughout 2024.

Butts Are Shrinking Back Down—But Not Too Much

The ubiquitous Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, exploded in popularity in the 2010s and remains a top request at plastic surgeon offices around the country. In 2024, however, the trend for BBLs is shifting toward a more proportional figure overall. Dr. Usha Rajagopal, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in the Bay Area, predicts that patients who have had more extreme BBLs might even return to their surgeons asking for a smaller butt, which she describes as a much more intense surgery to reverse the original procedure (especially if they have started using a weight loss medication like Ozempic).

XXL Boobs Are Leaving the Chat

Similar to the buttocks area, requests for more natural-looking breast augmentations are increasingly common. Dr. Kolker says that, in addition to more conservatively sized breast implants, he’s seeing a rise in breast enhancements with autologous fat grafting—which utilizes fat from the thighs, abdomen, or buttocks—to achieve a subtle, natural result. “There has been a seismic shift in breast aesthetics,” he explains. “Looking done, or overdone, is falling out of favor. Natural and proportional are the new trends.”

Dr. Few adds that many of his patients (especially those who have given birth) are foregoing both fat transfers and implants in favor of breast lifts, which remove excess skin to raise the breasts and tighten the surrounding tissue for a more lifted, youthful shape.

All Eyes Are on the Undereyes—Especially For Men

It almost goes without saying that we’d all like to look a little less tired, which is why Dr. Rajagopal predicts eye lifts, or blepharoplasties, will grow even more popular in 2024. “[Interest in eye lifts] stems from a growing desire for comprehensive facial rejuvenation,” she explains, as well as a desire for all the facial structures to look harmonious. Since the levator muscles that hold up the eyelid often noticeably droop as we get older, an eye lift is a popular alternative to a full facelift to help restore a bit of youthfulness to the face. Dr. Kolker adds that a skin pinch blepharoplasty, in particular (a more limited, minimally invasive option to smooth crepey excess skin of the lower eyelid), will see more interest from patients, particularly men.

"For men, around the eyes is the driver that brings them in," says Dr. Few. "[They say] their eyes look haggard, and or they look sad because there may be excessive skin or hooding around the eyes." He adds that because men are less likely to focus on prevention compared to women, they often visit a plastic surgeon later in life when surgery is the only option (as opposed to a less invasive procedure). All the more reason to approach your skincare with a proactive mindset rather than waiting until cosmetic concerns arise to explore a more invasive solution.

With that in mind, it seems fitting to declare 2024 as the year of prevention. Trust us (and the pros)—your older self will thank you.

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