Dr. Saber’s Blog
There is a direct link between social media and plastic surgery trends. Social media platforms are valuable tools for promoting plastic surgery procedures with displays of before and after transformations.
Since the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented demand for cosmetic procedures directly related to time spent on social media.
One such trend is men paying to have their nipples reconstructed to look more like David Beckham’s nipples. This procedure involves extracting breast tissue from underneath the nipples and sewing them back up to give a smaller appearance.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) plastic surgery statistics from 2023 reflect this demand. The 2023 results showed a 5% rise in plastic surgeries and a 7% rise in noninvasive procedures compared to 2022.
About 25.4 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed in 2023. The top 5 were:
But there is a downside to social media influence—unrealistic expectations. Photoshopped and filtered images present idealized versions of beauty that are unattainable.
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Some people follow dangerous cosmetic surgery trends to their detriment—mainly due to a lack of medical knowledge and expertise. Patients request treatments or surgical procedures based on these trends without knowing the risks and limitations.
Dr. Sepidah Saber is a board-certified plastic surgeon at Saber Plastic Surgery. Dr. Saber provides patients with information to make informed decisions to reduce patient risk. Dr. Saber does not support or recommend these dangerous trends.
Some of the dangerous new trends in plastic surgery include:
A cat or fox eye lift creates an elongated, upward-slanting eye like a fox or cat. Dr. Saber does not perform or recommend the procedure for several reasons—potential nerve damage, vision changes, eye closure limitations, and eye position asymmetry.
A thread lift tightens and lifts sagging and excess skin on the face and neck using threads embedded in the skin. These threads are attached to tiny hooks and pulled for skin tightening. The skin tightening persists until the threads dissolve (three weeks).
Dr. Saber does not perform this procedure due to a high risk of complications such as scarring. The results are short-lived, unpredictable, and sometimes asymmetrical.
Large-volume liposuction is a more complex and physiologically different procedure than traditional liposuction—small-volume fat removal. Large-volume liposuction removes more than five liters of total volume from the body.
Dr. Saber does not recommend this procedure due to complications related to fluid shifts and fluid balance in the body. When performed by untrained plastic surgeons’ serious complications or death can occur.
Dimpleplasty is dimple plastic surgery. It involves piercing through layers of the face—cheek area—from the inside out and removing muscle and fat. Then, the inner layers of tissue are fixed in place to create a dimple.
The dangers include facial nerve injury, abscess formation, excessive scarring, and asymmetry. Dr. Saber warns that this is a disturbing trend because the results are irreversible.
Since the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented demand for cosmetic procedures directly related to time spent on social media.
A high-volume Brazilian butt lift (BBL) involves fat transfer from an area where fat is undesirable to the buttocks where fat grafting will enhance the region.
What is the most dangerous plastic surgery? A Brazilian butt lift. Dr. Saber explained the gluteal region is full of major blood vessels. An inexperienced surgeon may insert the cannula (hollow tubing) too deep causing fat to enter the bloodstream (fat embolism).
Because high-volume BBLs are more invasive, there is a higher risk of fat embolism. The BBL mortality rate is higher than any other cosmetic surgery—as high as 1 in every 3,000 cases. Current Brazilian butt lift statistics show a downward trend due to a trend toward a more natural look.
Dr. Saber performs BBLs (low volume) with safe results but only performs high-volume BBLs under limited circumstances.
Patients who request buttock enhancements but don’t have excess fat to harvest for a BBL, often opt for buttock implants. Buttock enhancement surgery takes several hours with a long recovery. While many people like their results, there’s a high risk of complications.
When buttock implants are surgically placed above the gluteal muscle, they can look unnatural. When placed below the gluteal muscle, they can cause sciatic nerve damage.
Dr. Saber does not recommend buttock implant surgery for these reasons.
Permanent facial fillers are made from non-biodegradable material (silicone). As facial features change with age, these fillers no longer appear natural.
According to one study, 64.6% of patients with permanent facial fillers develop complications, and 15.3% require removal.
Dr. Saber recommends standard dermal fillers, which are long-lasting but temporary. If you’re unhappy with the results, there are enzyme products to dissolve them.
Bicep or calf implants are popular for those unable to develop these muscles through exercise and weightlifting. A surgeon makes an incision and inserts molded implants, enhancing the bicep or calf.
These implants may come with benefits for those with congenital muscle deformities. However, Dr. Saber does not recommend placing these implants for aesthetic purposes as they come with the risk of implant displacement or rupture–which can result in an uneven or unnatural appearance.
Abdominal etching removes undesirable fat from the abdomen, creating distinct lines that shape and highlight the abdominal muscles—”six-pack abs.”
Dr. Saber’s expert opinion is that they look unnatural and don’t align with other body features. With aging and weight gain the abdomen has a lumpy, distorted appearance.
Leg lengthening surgery to compensate for short stature is a multi-hour, traumatic operation that involves breaking the tibia and fibula bones in two places. Potential complications include nonunion or malunion, re-fracture, and osteomyelitis.
“This is a bad idea and can’t be compared to cosmetic surgeries,” says Dr. Saber. “With a limb lengthening procedure, one must break the tibia and fibula on both sides. These are our weight-bearing bones. Potential complications could be nonunion (bones don’t heal), malunion (bones heal in poor position/slightly off), re-fracture, and osteomyelitis (an infection in the bone).”
Justin Jedica, “the human Ken doll”, is the best example of someone at the extreme undergoing plastic surgery treatments. He’s had over 1000 cosmetic procedures including 23 implants, a deep plane facelift, a mid-face lift, a mid-face temporal suspension, a brow lift, and an upper lid lift.
Dr. Saber explained that this number of implants can lead to a serious infection if one of the implants ruptures, leading to sepsis–resulting in the removal of all implants. This could seriously affect him physically and emotionally.
Despite these dangerous trends, technological advancements in cosmetic surgery offer safe, minimally invasive procedures with limited downtime and better outcomes. Trends in cosmetic surgery have shifted toward requests for customization (individualized treatment) and a more natural-looking result. Bigger is no longer better.
The biggest trends in 2024 include:
Trends in plastic surgery are fleeting. But plastic surgery is a reputable medical specialty with time-tested procedures that will continue to make a significant difference in patient’s lives.
Dr. Sepideh Saber is a board-certified plastic surgeon providing cosmetic procedures and surgeries from a more sensitive, female perspective for patients of all ages, genders, and orientations. She ensures thatall questions are answered so that each patient can make a truly well-informed decision.
Keeping her patients safe remains her top priority. She employs the latest state-of-the-art techniques and performs her procedures in the top surgical centers and hospitals, where she enjoys full admitting privileges.
Dr. Saber is located in Encino, CA for patients throughout the Los Angeles area. We are also convenient to Encino, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Northridge, North Hollywood, Malibu, Topanga, Canoga Park, Reseda, Valley Glen, Chatsworth, West Hills, Winnetka, Universal City, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Downtown Los Angeles, Silverlake, and Echo Park.
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CALL (818) 770-7050 OR CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE ONLINE