Changes in the plastic surgery landscape in the past year

At the start of the pandemic, things didn't look good for the aesthetics industry. With lockdown, many hospitals and surgical centres banned all elective procedures, limiting plastic surgeries to those that were reconstructive in nature. People simultaneously adopted a digital lifestyle, spending more time looking at themselves on camera than ever before, along with an almost entirely at-home existence.

However, the last two years of the pandemic has also affected people on a psychological level. While studies show that many people have slowed their daily routines due to lockdowns and quarantines, others used the situation to their benefit and transitioned to at-home working to focus on a healthy diet and exercise routine. Weight loss became a common preoccupation, and many are predicting that post-weight loss surgery, or body contouring surgery, maybe the new trend in 2022.

In this article, we asked Dr Rozina Ali, one of the best plastic surgeons in London - highly qualified in aesthetic surgery and a pioneer of fat transfer procedures, to sum up, the most substantial changes that occurred in the plastic surgery landscape in the past year. 

Statistics from the Aesthetics Industry

Plastic surgery trends indicate that the demand for plastic surgery will continue to grow as it becomes more advanced, less invasive and more affordable. New technologies and innovative techniques will be pioneered to improve the quality of procedures even further.

Although the 2021 summary has not yet been released, according to results of The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) audit of 2020, approximately 21000 cosmetic surgeries were carried out in the United Kingdom (UK). 

There are some plastic surgeries that can be predicted to continue in their popularity. For example, the number of liposuction procedures being performed is growing in the UK and even in the US. As overweight levels are increasing in these populations it’s reasonable to predict that liposuction will remain a top plastic surgery procedure for the foreseeable future. 

Non-surgical treatments have also become more popular over recent years and it’s expected for this to carry on. As Miss Ali says: “Non-Surgical Rejuvenation (NSR) is subtle and elegant. It is suitable for anyone who cares about looking their best, it has minimal downtime and is used in combination, enhancing the effects of surgical procedures and skincare.”

For example, dermal fillers such as Hyaluronic Acid, Juvederm, Vycross are ver appreciated for successfully re-inflating skin volume and restoring plumpness and hydration. Moreover, Botox can be used to open up the eyes, reshape the lower jaw, reverse downward turned corners of the mouth, relax cobbling of the chin and release tight central bands of an ageing neck. And if you are looking for rejuvenating your skin with acne scars, sun-damaged and ageing skin, facial, neck and décolleté lines and wrinkles, microneedling treatments are exactly what you need (but do seek medical guidance and do not experience microneedling at home)


Procedures that gained in popularity

  • Stem cell technology has also become an exciting concept for plastic surgeons. Stem cells can be harvested to regenerate cells and tissues in the human body. In the future stem cell technologies may be combined with tissue engineering to grow new body parts as required - structures such as skin and ears may be grown in the laboratory and implanted to restore form and function. 

Lasting trends? 

​​Many are wondering if this increased interest in plastic surgery, in general, is going to last once the pandemic is finally brought under control. While this is difficult to predict, most likely this plastic surgery interest will rise in the years to come, as procedures become more and more accessible. 

It’s expected that plastic surgery options will continue to expand allowing for more bespoke treatments. There is increased knowledge about how individuals react differently to certain treatments or products, so in the future, individual aesthetic treatments may be tailored by specific patient profiles to achieve the best possible results and it may be possible to determine things such as if a patient will scar more than another patient. 


If you’re looking for advice to help you determine which plastic surgery procedure is the best option for you, book a personal consultation with Rozina Ali. And if you are not from the UK, we recommend you read our article on how to find a plastic surgeon you can trust and only book a consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon.