Plastic surgery, as a medical specialty, has been around since at least World War I. Over the last hundred-plus years, plastic surgeons have been constantly innovating, introducing new techniques and technologies designed to improve results and maximize patient comfort. These days, patients want natural looking results as quickly (and painlessly) as possible.
In some ways, it’s possible that plastic surgeons are on the verge of putting themselves out of business, as a new wave of non invasive cosmetic procedures appear to be generating significant buzz. These new cosmetic technologies seem poised to compete directly with plastic surgery procedures–but do they measure up to the hype?
A New Wave of Non Invasive Procedures
You can trace non invasive cosmetic procedures all the way back to Botox; for most people, Botox was the first big breakthrough success. Get rid of a couple of wrinkles with a simple injection! It sounds amazing. But these days, no one outside of cosmetic circles think of Botox as all that revolutionary (though, it should be noted that Botox is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the country by far).
That’s because these new, non invasive procedures promise results that, previously, could only be achieved via surgery. Some of these new procedures include:
- Non surgical rhinoplasty: In the past, a surgical “nose job” was the only real way to change the shape or look of your nose. Today, many cosmetic surgeons offer what’s called a “non surgical nose job.” This procedure relies on injections of dermal filler to add volume to your nose, thus changing its shape and size in strategic ways. The results from non surgical rhinoplasty are temporary, but they manifest immediately, so you don’t have to wait to see your transformed nose.
- Coolsculpting: A non invasive body contouring procedure, Coolsculpting uses the power of cold to make changes to the shape of your body. Fat cells have a much lower threshold for cold than skin cells do. Coolsculpting “blasts” your body with extreme temperatures–completely safe for your skin, but the fat beneath that skin is safely eliminated. It takes several weeks after your treatment to see your results, but the idea is that you can eliminate unwanted areas of fat without having to undergo surgery.
- Kybella: We’re used to injectables that can eliminate wrinkles or add volume, so Kybella was somewhat groundbreaking when it was introduced. That’s because Kybella is an injectable that can melt fat away. Currently, Kybella is only approved for the jawline (eliminating the so-called double-chin). But who knows what applications it might have in the future. It’s hard to see an injectable that gets rid of your tummy fat, for example, not being popular.
Is Plastic Surgery on its Way Out?
Given these developments and innovations, plastic surgery must be on its way out, yes? Well, that’s not entirely true. Even though they’re on the cusp of competing with surgical procedures, there are some very real limitations to what these non invasive approaches can accomplish.
First and foremost, not all non invasive procedures will produce permanent results. For some patients, that can be a dealbreaker. Surgery, on the other hand, quite naturally produces effectively permanent results every time.
But, perhaps more importantly, the results from non invasive approaches are limited–a non invasive or non surgical procedure is by design going to create only small and limited transformations. That’s great for some patients–small and subtle can yield amazing changes. But there are other patients who want to go big and bold. And for those patients, surgery is often the best way to achieve their desired results.
Complementary Without Competing
Knowing all this, it could be difficult to choose a winner between plastic surgery and these non invasive start ups. Hyperbolic comparisons aside, the “winner” will simply be whatever solution works best for the patient.
The truth is that, hyperbole aside, non invasive procedures and plastic surgery are more complementary than truly competitive. Surgery is going to be the best option for some individuals. But these non invasive approaches open a whole world of possibilities for those individuals who would not otherwise be a good fit for plastic surgery.
And at the end of the day, more people have access to procedures that can help them feel more confident and content in their overall appearance. These new technologies simply provide new avenues to try–and new ways to exercise more control over the way you look.
Cosmetic and plastic surgery are always innovating, so it’s possible that one day the relationship between non invasive procedures and surgery might become more competitive. But it’s not quite there today. Not yet, anyway.
