A facial plastic surgeon has shared three cosmetic procedures he is performing less and less often on his patients, and what they are choosing instead.
The information was shared in a new video posted on TikTok by California-based expert Dr. Prem Tripathi, who owns Bay Hills Plastic Surgery.
Tripathi regularly shares his knowledge about facial aesthetics and trends in the industry on his social media accounts. This time was no different: he talked about the treatments he sees less and less of late.
Topping the list were fillers: a type of cosmetic injection intended to smooth wrinkles and fine lines, plump the face and add volume to sagging skin.
They are often injected into areas such as under the eyes and cheeks.
Dr Prem Tripathi has revealed three cosmetic procedures he doesn’t have to perform on his patients very often – and what they opt for instead
However, the injections have become a hot topic, with some doctors even claiming that the irritation can last for decades and can spread to the face.
And it’s an injection that Tripathi doesn’t have to administer to patients very often, he said.
“That’s not to say there aren’t other solutions, people are asking for things like exosomes, fat grafting, biostimulators like Sculptra, those have been around for a long time, fillers just get a bad rap,” Tripathi explains.
“And for most of us who work in a surgical field, we’ve used fillers pretty conservatively up until now, not in huge amounts, but I’m just not asked to do it as much anymore,” the doctor continued.
Next on his list was some sort of “mini” procedure, such as a mini facelift or a mini neck lift.
Mini facelifts may involve fewer incisions than a traditional facelift, according to Healthline, and is intended to reduce the appearance of sagging skin.
“I think people are much more aware now. They realize that these are just maximum incisions and the results are not visible for long,” he said.
“So if you want to address a specific issue, go there with your concerns. Mini-lifts have really fallen out of favor in my opinion, and now it’s mostly regular facelifts,” Tripathi said.
Tripathi often shares his wisdom on facial aesthetics and industry trends on his social media accounts
However, he noted that this had nothing to do with age, but with your anatomy.
The last procedure, which Tripathi doesn’t see very often anymore, he called ‘surprising’.
‘I see that fewer and fewer people are asking for microneedling, for example, and are opting for a CO2 laser, for example,’ he explains.
Microneedling is a cosmetic treatment in which small holes are made in the upper layer of the skin with thin needles to stimulate the production of collagen. This leads to a younger looking complexion. CO2 lasers are lasers that renew the upper layer of the skin to achieve something similar.
“I think there is more awareness that you can use CO2 lasers on all skin types and skin tones. You can get really beautiful results with very little downtime,” Tripathi said.
“I think in some ways, depending on your concern, it’s better than microneedling,” he said of the lasers.
CO2 lasers are lasers that renew the top layer of skin to achieve something similar (stock image)
In the caption of his video, he explained that people aren’t necessarily having less done to their faces, but rather simply choosing other treatments that are “essentially better.”
And in the comments section, many users shared the procedures they performed themselves.
‘I’ve had 3 platelet rich plasma microneedling sessions and have received so many compliments on how flawless my skin is. Instant results!’ wrote one person.
Another shared: ‘Facts! I just don’t want fillers and she always tries to push it on me for under my eyes and I’m like, “I’ll stick with the PRP and PRF, thanks.”‘
“I think people are getting scared of fillers because so many people have overdone it. I’ve only had fillers under my eyes twice in eight years and I’m 57,” someone else noted.
“I definitely feel like I get more bang for my buck and the downtime is shorter with laser treatments,” admitted a second user.