‘Ozempic Face’ and Other Top Trends in Plastic Surgery

Add surgical tweaks to fix so-called “Ozempic face” to the list of top trending cosmetic procedures, as tallied by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).

The group’s annual survey of its board-certified members found that blockbuster GLP-1 medications are having an impact on plastic surgeries ordered up by Americans.

“While these drugs are highly effective at achieving rapid weight loss, they often result in issues like volume loss and sagging skin,” Dr. Patrick Byrne, AAFPRS president, said in an academy news release. “As a result, more patients are turning to facial plastic surgery to address these aesthetic concerns.”

For example, facial plastic surgeons reported a 50% rise in the number of facial fat-grafting procedures undertaken throughout 2024, probably due to the effects of weight loss aided by GLP-1s.

Members expect that other nonsurgical procedures, such as injectable facial fillers, will also rise in popularity as Ozempic and its kin help folks shed pounds.

Already, 1 in every 10 AAFPRS members say they are prescribing the weight-loss meds to patients.

Traditional procedures still popular

Older cosmetic surgery standbys continued to top the list of most popular procedures for 2024.

Rhinoplasties (commonly referred to as “nose jobs”), facelifts and eye lifts remained the top three surgical procedures in 2024, with rhinoplasty continuing to be patients’ most frequently requested surgery, the AAFPRS said.

The average age for a facelift is getting younger, however. In recent years, people ages 35 to 55 comprised 26% of facelift clients, but that number rose to nearly a third (32%) by 2024.

Most patients are not getting complex and invasive surgical procedures, however: Botox and similar “neurotoxin” injections, as well as dermal fillers, are much more popular. More than 90% of AAFPRS members say they perform such procedures regularly.

Openness about menopause

Women in menopause and perimenopause can notice the effects hormonal changes have on their faces — thinning skin, bags around the eyes and weakened facial bones — and often head to their plastic surgeon’s office, Byrne said.

“Soft tissue fillers, especially biostimulatory fillers, can help replace collagen stores from the inside out and outside in, which can be helpful for women experiencing a drop in collagen levels, leading to wrinkles and fine lines,” the AAFPRS president explained.

Byrne suspects a new openness about menopause is driving the trend.

“The growing conversation around menopause and aesthetics marks a significant shift in how women approach this life stage, empowering them with the knowledge and resources to embrace and celebrate it with confidence,” he said.

Men aren’t lagging far behind women in seeking to counter the effects of age, the report found.

Almost all (92%) AAFPRS members said men number among their patients seeking facelifts, nose jobs, eye lifts, Botox and other interventions. And men outnumber women by far when it comes to hair transplants, the survey found.

Looking forward

Members are also looking to the future of their profession, one that increasingly involves cutting-edge regenerative medicine.

“Treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and exosome-based therapies are gaining traction, providing patients with minimally invasive options that are intended to target the cellular level to rejuvenate and repair skin,” Byrne explained.

Many of the trends outlined in the survey are driven by social media, said Steven Jurich, CEO and executive vice president of the AAFPRS.

But there’s lots of hucksterism and misinformation out there, too. Jurich advised consumers to look at a practitioner’s training and credentials before they consent to any procedure.

“The best way to maximize satisfaction with any facial rejuvenation procedure is to choose a qualified facial plastic surgeon,” he said in the news release. “Always select a surgeon specifically trained in procedures of the face, head, and neck and make sure the physician is qualified, experienced and board-certified in the procedure you want.”

The new survey was conducted in December by ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc. through an online survey from a select group of the organization’s members.

More information

Want to learn more about ‘Ozempic face’? Head to Northwell Health.

SOURCE: American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, news release, Feb. 4, 2025

Source: HealthDay