The Top Surgery Trends Of 2024 Mark A Shift In Popular Aesthetics

Every year, about one dozen aesthetic procedures earn their spot on the most-requested plastic surgeries list. Some are brand-new techniques and technologies, while others are resurrections of long-standing surgeries that get a facelift to win the popularity contest.

Plastic surgery has been trending upward for the past few years with no signs of slowing down. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, post-pandemic procedures grew by almost 20% in 2022, and the demographic for plastic surgery patients is getting younger than it has ever been.

Beauty is cyclical, and everything goes in waves. Yet, this latest batch of trending surgeries and treatments, which focuses on early intervention, smaller tweakements, and more natural results, may be the bunch that changes the future of the aesthetics space. But only time will tell which ones stand the test of time and which will be outdated by next year. Ahead, TZR breaks down the most anticipated invasive and non-invasive procedures that are sure to be household names in 2024.

2024 Invasive Procedure Trends

1. The Rise Of Post-Ozempic Plastic Surgery

Ever since Ozempic and Mounjaro became household names as off-label weight loss medications, it seems like almost everyone in America is on some type of GLP-1 inhibitor. With extreme weight fluctuations comes volume loss in the face, breasts, abdomen, and even butt, causing a deflated look. While some people may be more than happy with the number on their scale, what's underneath their clothes may be another problem. Dr. Andrew Peredo,M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, says patients are shedding weight and loving it but ending up with loose skin, just like with bariatric surgery, because it's coming off so quickly. "Slow weight loss lets the collagen and skin bounce back for less of this sagging effect." He adds that to counteract the volume loss and skin effects of weight loss, there's also an influx of proactive use of radiofrequency skin-tightening treatments, sometimes with bio-stimulatory products like Radiesse or Sculptra.

The idea of only using filler to restore volume isn't a fail-safe strategy for everyone. As Dr. Miguel Mascaró, M.D., a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Delray Beach, Fla., explains, those aging in the face who are losing a lot of weight notice accelerated sagging and gauntness in the mirror. "Filling the face back up with a lot of product won't renew everything." And in the case of trying to avoid an overfilled look, it isn't the plan of attack that everyone wants to subscribe to. "Instead, the tissue has to be picked back up, which is why Ozempic face usually requires surgery," he says.

Like correcting the face with surgery, the body follows the same playbook. "We're seeing changes to several body parts, including the breasts and abdomen," Dr. Peredo says. "Because of that, I'm doing more breast lifts, tummy tucks, and even circumferential body lifts, which address the lower back and butt, which starts to sag from Ozempic weight loss, as well."

2. A Demand For More Natural-Looking Breast & Butt Augmentations

Bigger isn't always better, and 2024 will prove it. For years, breast and butt augmentations have veered towards large sizes. Dr. Mark Mofid, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in San Diego, says early in his career, there was a relatively cavalier attitude amongst surgeons and patients about the significance of placing breast implants, especially in younger women with large enough busts who didn't really need them. "There are permanent changes that can affect the breasts from implants, and it ushered in a nuclear arms race of sorts on size, ultimately leading some women down the path of irreparable damage to their breasts due to implants that were too large for their frames or soft tissue envelopes."

Although breast augmentation procedures are on the rise, the current trend is towards a more natural augmentation that is a better fit for the body. Some women choose fat over implants to volumize the breasts (like the butt) or exchange one implant size for a smaller one (or take them out altogether) because it's all about fitting them to their bodies at the current stage of life. "For some women, going with small, attractive implants is one of the best decisions they ever make, giving them confidence in their self-image," Dr. Mofid adds.

The same goes for Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), which rely on fat to increase the size and shape of the butt. "Originally, everybody was asking to transfer as much fat as possible into the butt," Dr. Peredo says. "Now, patients just want to balance everything out with a narrower and smaller buttock than traditionally before. I've even had a couple of patients wanting to make their BBL smaller."

The goal of augmentation procedures is to look as natural as possible. Dr. Peredo tells his patients they want to be told they look great and not asked who did their breasts. "I like to make everything look as natural as possible, and patients want the result of surgery to be more complementary to their body style, which is usually slightly smaller."

3. Facelifts At 40

If 40 is the new 50, then it is no surprise that 40-somethings are plunking down thousands of dollars to have their plastic surgeons do a little nip and tuck. Traditionally, facelifts were reserved for ages 60 and over, but as Dr. Oren Tepper, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon and co-founder of Greenwich Street Aesthetics in New York City, shares, now the average age for first-time facelifts is much younger, and many are in their 40s. "There's less of a stigma amongst those who are younger to get the surgery, and they are also open to discussing plastic surgery. Plus, awareness is growing," he adds.

Dr. Mofid says that by middle age, it's normal to develop a large neck and jowls. "Other factors such as excessive weight gain or massive weight loss can cause the appearance of premature aging," he adds.

The 40-year-old facelift, also called a mini lift, differs from a traditional one. For starters, Dr. Tepper says two critical variables must be weighed to ensure a good outcome: the starting point and the skin quality and tone. The goal of a facelift in someone younger isn't to pull the face so taut that it looks freakishly scary or like you've been caught in a wind tunnel. In younger facelift patients, we reposition the muscle more, so it's not about just pulling the skin," Dr. Mascaro adds. "They also have yet to start to experience bone loss so that we can stretch the canvas over a different frame. When you're younger and pre-menopausal, the frame of the face is similar to what it was in the thirties." Skin quality can also be compromised with age, negatively impacting healing and the results. Dr. Tepper says the results can be more favorable in a younger patient, often leading to subtle but impactful changes.

Even though the results of preemptive plastic surgery don't necessarily equate to longer-lasting results because time still marches on, the earlier you do it, the better. "An early intervention facelift is one of those procedures that makes people look supernatural while legitimately rejuvenating them, becoming more of a beautifying surgery rather than a reconstructive one," Dr. Mascaró adds.

4. A Focus On ‘Fixing’ The Eyes

Dr. Mascaró says virtually every type of eye rejuvenation will be in demand in 2024, including upper and blepharoplasties and brow lifts. "I've seen a big uptick since this past summer in patients wanting to target everything about their eyes. Correcting the eyes with surgery is a real-time machine, like a legitimate one."

"I think people are really focusing on the shape of their eyes and how they change as they age," Dr. Mascaró shares. With younger generations so heavily reliant on digital communication and content and taking selfies daily, once the eyes start to change even slightly, there is an itch to have the look of perfectly filtered and edited eyes in real life. "Let's face it, filters make the eyes look better," he says, "and they bring more attention to the eyes. Patients want to achieve that filtered look, which comes down to the overall framing of the eyes caused by excess skin or even the brows. A little skin pinch eliminates excess skin laxity under the eyes." To prevent the eyes from looking 'done' or hollow, Dr. Tepper adds that taking a more conservative approach to skin and potentially fat removal leads to a more aesthetically pleasing upper eyelid with a distinct crease.

The baby brow lift (a.k.a the temple brow lift or mini brow lift) is having a moment, too. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid set off the procedure, showing how elevating the brows for beautification purposes can improve the face. Dr. Mascaró says most of his browlift patients now span between 34 and 43. "Picking up the brow's tail end through appropriate elevation is usually enough for patients in this age range. It's a game changer in refreshing the face and making it look younger." While Botox and other neurotoxins are still viable sources for elevating the brows, Dr. Tepper adds that they come with the potential downside of a descending brow. "Those who routinely use Botox may not be happy with the position of their brows if that happens, and therefore seek a brow lift."

5. Lip Lifts 2.0

Lip lifts have had a run for the past few years and will remain one of the most popular surgeries in 2024 and beyond. By removing a small strip of skin from where the upper lip and the base of the nose meet, the lips are repositioned into a more elevated position for a visible increase in the pink skin overall. According to Dr. Mascaró, who's made a name for himself as the lip lift king, the procedure is shifting towards a more conservative lip — think more of an over-lined with lip liner type of look — with a little more tooth showing. Also included in the lip lift 2.0 is picking up the lips' outer corners for a more balanced, natural, and cohesive look.

2024 Non-Invasive Procedure Trends

1. Exosome Therapy Is About To Explode

A hot topic of the moment, with no plans of slowing down time soon, regenerative exosomes are popular for aiding in skin healing — some say they are far more powerful than platelet rich plasma (PRP).

Dr. Peredo uses topical exosomes after skin-tightening, laser procedures, and microneedling to help the body repair itself from the damage. "Exosomes are a great modality and provide a lot of different growth factors and proteins to the body that allow it to repair and rejuvenate post-treatment." That means exosomes can help calm and alleviate redness, inflammation, and other symptoms that tend to linger on the skin after these treatments for faster healing and even better results.

2. The Return Of The Medium-Depth Chemical Peel

For the past decade, if not longer, lasers have been the star of skin-resurfacing treatments. Thanks to the more consistent results and minimal downsides, medium-strength chemical peels are predicted to make a major comeback. "We're seeing a big return of more aggressive, medium-depth TCA chemical peels, which we haven't seen for a long time," Dr. Mascaró says. "Forever, it was lasers, lasers, lasers, and now more patients are in tune with the idea of doing chemical peels, which has been a nice turn."

Dr. Mascaró explains that for a laser to be effective, a particular chromophore of color must be picked up by the machine for it to work, and the stronger that signal, the better the result. Since skin inherently contains various shades of browns and darker colors, multiple treatments are often needed. He explains that the advantage of medium chemical peels over lasers is that they reach a certain depth within the skin and physically exfoliate that skin layer for a more evenly-toned complexion. "Plus, if you have tiny wrinkles, those also improve, knocking out two birds with one stone."

3. New Lasers That Incorporate AI

While chemical peels may be more 'in' than ever, lasers aren't exactly becoming extinct, and innovations and advancements will continue in 2024. Case in point: the new Avava by Miria laser, a skin resurfacing laser with AI technology. "Avava spares the epidermis and can go deep into the skin to hit the dermis and lower tissues without burning them,” Dr. Peredo says. “What is cool about Avava is that the laser learns the depth and what is happening to the patient's skin because of a camera that scans the area. We can almost see the histology of changes to the tissue in real-time, which allows us to keep hitting that moving target and make it a more customized laser treatment."

Compatible with all skin types but offering up some downtime depending on the chosen depth of the treatment, Dr. Peredo explains that all of the energy is focused on the dermis and subcutaneous tissue to stimulate collagen and do away with crepey-looking skin texture. "Since many people are weary of fillers right now because of botched jobs and the overfilled, doughy look, this is a good option for those who don't want to address skin texture and also get some volumization."

4. Injectable Skin Boosters

Unlike the injectables and fillers most of us are familiar with, the new wave of skin boosters delivers instant improvement in the texture and glow department. There is microBotox, a mixture of Botox, usually with a little bit of hyaluronic acid, to smooth the skin and make pores disappear for a couple of months at most, and SkinVive, a hyaluronic acid microdroplet injectable that improves hydration and smoothness, tiny lines and wrinkles, and give the skin a natural lit-from-within glow. Just note: Dr. Mascaró says that although SkinVive looks excellent in person, "the skin is plump, rejuvenated, and looks great," it doesn't show much difference in photos.

5. Cellulite Treatments Get A Major Upgrade

The quest for dimple-, cellulite-free, skin remains high on the priority list, and even though professionally-administered treatments have existed for years, none have been able to do what the newest one, Avéli, does. "Finally, we have something that works well for it," Dr. Peredo says.

Using a minimally-invasive subcision technique, Avéli cuts the fibrous bands that pull on the skin, push fat cells up, and cause cellulite. A metal rod with a hook and blade attached to the end allows surgeons to catch the bands and cut them so they do not reform. "Confirming that a band is cut in real-time ensures that we are successfully treating it," Dr. Peredo says. The treatment results are permanently smoother skin with less dimpling on the thighs and buttocks. "So far, I haven't seen any cellulite recurrences in areas I've treated."