Plastic Surgery: 2022 Trends – How the Pandemic Changed Treatments and Why Millennials Are Rediscovering Botox

We are a nation of “Narcissists.” Italy ranks fifth in the world for the number of aesthetic plastic surgery procedures, according to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. While social gatherings and opportunities to show off one’s appearance have drastically decreased due to Covid, a significant number of people took advantage of lockdowns — and the requirement to wear masks — to undergo aesthetic procedures, conveniently hiding the early post-treatment effects behind a mask.

According to a study by the Financial Times in the UK, facial appearance and body image — key to both social relationships and self-esteem — became so important over the past year that cosmetic procedure requests from both men and women quintupled.

This growing “touch-up” trend proved successful in Italy as well. Many took advantage of reduced spending on travel, shopping, and dining to invest in correcting facial and body imperfections. Moreover, the rise of remote work and webcam meetings encouraged professionals and managers to reassess their appearance, aiming for a fresher and more youthful image on screen.

What are the main aesthetic surgery trends for 2022? According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, most patients — men and women alike — are seeking “anti-age” effects, reshaping their bodies and reducing wrinkles and signs of ageing.

The highlight, however, is Botox. It’s not just people over 40 or 50 turning to botox injections to rejuvenate their faces. Increasingly, millennials are turning to early preventive treatments, embracing fillers to plump their lips or enhance facial volume.

For women, breast augmentation remains one of the most common reasons for consulting a plastic surgeon. In addition to traditional implants, there is a growing demand for breast lipofilling — a technique that transfers small amounts of fat from one part of the body (such as the abdomen or thigh) to the breast. This approach delivers natural results and reduces the risk of rejection and complications.

What about liposuction? Popular among both women and men, it continues to be one of the most requested procedures to eliminate localized fat deposits — from the abdomen to the chin, and from the thighs to the buttocks.

As for rhinoplasty, while the traditional surgical form remains dominant, requests for non-surgical rhinoplasty — the rhinofiller — are on the rise. This technique provides impressive, albeit temporary, results.

The common denominator across all these trends is clear: treatments should be as minimally invasive as possible and enhance, rather than alter, our natural appearance.

Maria Serena Patriarca