Millennials: the New Face of Plastic Surgery
More young people are getting cosmetic surgery, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The report states that in 2015, 64% of facial plastic surgeons saw an increase in cosmetic procedures in patients under 30. For example, requests for hyaluronic acid fillers were up by almost 10 percent, while Botox and chemical peels saw similar increases.
Why choose cosmetic procedures when the skin is still taut and relatively wrinkle free? Many plastic surgeons explain that younger patients are looking for rapid-recovery preventative treatments—from Botox, to fillers, lasers, and peels—that help them to avoid more complex procedures as they age. The secret stigma of plastic surgery procedures is from another age, and many millennials find relatively lower cost cosmetic procedures easy and fun to integrate into their lifestyles and budgets.
For example, more young woman turn to Botox promote a smoother complexion and to help prevent the formation of new fine lines and wrinkles. The muscle weakening effect of the botulinum toxin can actually train the muscles in the forehead not to “lift” in a way that creates new lines.
Others choose to make more drastic changes, from a “natural-looking nose job”—a favorite surgery among youthful patients—to fat reduction by liposuction for problematic areas. Breast surgery, either to make the breasts look moderately larger or to reduce too large, pendulous breasts, is another popular procedure.
Some younger patients use plastic surgery procedures to emulate the seemingly perfect faces of the rich and famous. Rather than just pursuing beauty, this demographic seeks the status symbol of the “richface,” the airbrushed smoothness that is achieved with regular peels, injections, and fillers and noticeable puffed lips and cheeks that are instant, recognizable markers of wealth and celebrity.
No matter what their motivation, more young people are choosing cosmetic procedures. In the world of daily selfies that are posted by the thousands on a plethora of social media sites, from Facebook to Instagram, many young women and men are more sensitive about their appearance and choose to have procedures that make them feel more confident about their appearance. They want to be sure they—and the world—“like” what they see.
