“Rich Girl Face” and “Liquid Lifting”: the trends dominating the scene as millennials imitate social media beauty standards

The concept of beauty evolves with time, and aesthetic surgery is increasingly perceived as a tool for resembling one’s favourite social media idols. While parents and young people seem to have embraced this phenomenon, many Aesthetic Physicians and Plastic Surgeons are raising important questions about its implications. The traditional “no make-up” look is no longer considered fashionable among many teenagers and young adults, who are strongly influenced by online influencers and their preference for fuller lips and more pronounced cheekbones.

One of the most widespread international trends is the Rich Girl Face, a beauty ideal sought by both girls and boys who ask specialists to replicate the aesthetic traits made popular by celebrities and online personalities.

This phenomenon especially affects adolescents and young adults under 24, heavily influenced by social media content.

While aesthetic procedures were once meant to be discreet, with results as natural as possible, today many patients prefer to highlight or even “show off” their enhancements — driven by media exposure, reality shows and dominant online beauty standards.

The most requested treatments include lip volumisation, enhanced cheekbones and facial features to showcase on social platforms. Lip fillers remain the number one request among young women, followed by cheek augmentation and preventive botulinum toxin injections.

Among younger patients, combined protocols with bio-stimulating threads are gaining popularity, as well as needle-free biostimulation techniques often paired with carboxytherapy.

Another rising trend is Liquid Lifting, a non-invasive procedure that repositions sagging tissues by acting on the underlying bone structure. It involves filling the mandibular or zygomatic ligaments with hyaluronic acid or calcium hydroxyapatite to restore tension in areas that have relaxed with age. Enhancing these structural points allows the midface tissues — especially the parotid area — to be lifted naturally.

Although traditionally more common among patients in their 60s, liquid lifting is now increasingly requested from age 30 upwards, especially after significant weight loss or early tissue laxity.

The neck has also become a major focus of aesthetic concern, largely due to remote working. While many aspire to a smooth, “swan-like” neck, the real risk is the development of “tech neck” caused by long hours spent leaning over laptops and tablets. This issue often appears even before the age of 40, particularly in men.

One of the latest innovations for this area is Endolift, a diode laser delivered via an ultra-thin optical fibre inserted into the superficial dermis. The technique creates an internal lifting effect by stimulating fibroblasts to produce new collagen. Results appear after about a month and last for at least one year.

Maria Serena Patriarca