Well-being and Aesthetic Surgery: The Mask Effect Shifts Focus from Lips to Eyes

We live in the era of face positivity, where technological innovation, combined with medical research and high-performing materials, enables less invasive treatments that deliver more natural and effective results for overall well-being.

According to data from AICPE (the Italian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), blepharoplasty ranks as the second most requested cosmetic procedure after breast augmentation. Due to the Covid effect — and prolonged mask-wearing that covers the mouth but highlights the eyes — the eye area has stolen the spotlight from the lips.

Beyond blepharoplasty, which has evolved considerably over the last few decades thanks to innovative techniques, there is rising demand for mid-face lifting, volume correction with fillers, brow surgery, cantoplasty (to achieve almond-shaped eyes), regenerative medicine, and targeted aesthetic treatments.

Surgical and non-surgical procedures are increasingly combined to optimize skin quality, enhancing both texture and volume.

In the United States, the most sought-after look for the eye area is the Foxy Eye — a seductive “fox-eye” effect achieved with bio-compatible threads inserted under the skin to lift the outer brow and stretch the lateral eye corner. The result is an elongated, Hollywood-inspired look.

Back to AICPE’s findings, special attention goes to Minimally Invasive Periorbitoplasty, a surgical technique aimed at repositioning the eyebrow while also rejuvenating the eyelids, forehead, and overall facial expression. Originating in Brazil, it is performed under local anaesthesia and leaves a single scar along the scalp line. However, it requires a few days of social downtime due to the stitches across the forehead. Results are long-lasting, although the procedure has yet to gain widespread popularity in Italy.

Another timeless treatment — even as an anti-age preventive — is botulinum toxin. When properly dosed, botox can be administered even in younger age groups (with more subtle effects) to relax facial muscles and prevent wrinkle formation. A responsible aesthetic surgeon must also “educate” patients to avoid excesses, as the risk of social dysmorphia — especially among Gen Z — remains high.

Last, but not least, although the pandemic shifted much of our aesthetic focus to the face, the body must not be neglected. Among the latest innovations is the Schwarzy device by Deka, which tones glutes, arms, abdomen, and legs in under thirty minutes through over 20,000 contractions. It offers personalized programs across three levels of muscle stimulation: aerobic, remodelling, and strengthening.

This technology provides a kind of muscle “gymnastics” that enhances tone and redefines the silhouette. Schwarzy can also be combined with treatments that target localized fat and muscle laxity. The best results come from combining complementary therapies, meeting patients’ growing demand for non-invasive solutions that improve tone, shape, and body confidence.

Maria Serena Patriarca