2026's Hottest Aesthetic Trends, AI, and the Next Generation of Weight Loss Meds

Dr. Basu (00:11):
You are listening to Behind the Double Doors. I'm Dr. Bob Basu. Every year at this time, we like to look back at the last year and look forward into the new year. Now, before I share what's trending and what's in it for you as a patient in 2026, let's revisit my 2025 predictions and see if they held up. Last year for 2025, I made four predictions. Let's see if they held up. First, I predicted that we would see a continued decline in demand for HA or hyaluronic acid fillers, and we would see an increase in requests for alternatives such as biostimulators. And that one, I'm going to say came true globally across the entire industry. We saw a decline for demand for fillers and alternatives were becoming more and more popular. Now, the second prediction from 2025 was we would see a continued explosion of the GLP one weight loss medications driving a surge in post weight loss, body contouring procedures, facial rejuvenation, and skin laxity treatments.

(01:12):
That one, I'm also going to say came true. Not only have we seen a more increased uptick in GLP one use, we've seen more medications. And right along the horizon, we saw an announcement of a GLP one pill form of medication without the injection. So that's definitely came true. Thirdly, I predicted that we would move away from huge BBLs and the aesthetic would shift for more of a fit, balanced body type. That one also came true. Not only did we see a decrease in demand for oversized results, and that's not just true for BBLs. We're also seeing that a downshift in volume demand for breast surgery. So proportionate is in, imbalanced and overdone is out. And last but not least, my fourth prediction for 2025 was that we would see a surge in preventative skincare as younger patients are more focused in lasers and medical grade products.

(02:14):
And that absolutely came true. All patients are more focused on taking care of the skin, especially younger patients. And so we've seen an increase or uptick in demand for preventive skincare. So the only surprise that I saw in 2025 was really that we saw the 2025 American Society of Plastic Surgeon Procedural Statistics, which really reflects the ban from 2024. So it lags a little bit. And in 2024, we saw a lot of economic volatility. There were a lot of uncertainty headwinds. And so you would think that cosmetic demand, meaning demand for cosmetic plastic surgery procedure would probably stay flat or go down. But what we actually saw in the 2025 ASPS statistics is actually an increase in demand, and it was modest increase, but demand still grew from multiple procedures in the face, breast, and body. And I think the primary driver for that has been the weight loss revolution.

(03:13):
We're seeing more and more patients, both men and women losing weight. But weight loss carries new challenges such as skin laxity and volume loss. And I think that helped to continue growth and demand for procedures for the face, breast, and body. So let's move on to our 2026 plastic surgery predictions. So for 2026, I have five predictions, and the last one will impact anyone, whether you're thinking about a plastic surgery or med spa procedure or any kind of medical procedure. So first, I think in 2026, we're going to continue seeing an expansion of regenerative treatments. Regenerative treatments are going to become mainstream. Now, what are we talking about when we say regenerative treatments? I think with the decline in demand for fillers, we'll see an uptick in treatments that help to stimulate your own natural tissue, whether it be blood supply, whether it be collagen production.

(04:15):
So I think this falls into the category of how can you restore yourself naturally using your own tissue? How do you enhance your own healing potential? How do you improve your blood supply? How do you naturally enhance your collagen content? And that's where the category of regenerative treatments come into play. But I think I need to give you a little word of caution on regenerative treatments. There is good science supporting some of these modalities, but there are other products that are out there that the evidence is simply not there. Look, this is new. This is an evolving and emerging field, and unfortunately, there are companies that are out there that want to be first to market. There's a lot of excitement around regenerative treatments. You're hearing a lot of buzz about this, but some of these products, the evidence is really questionable. So to my listeners, I would give you a little word of caution.

(05:06):
Do your homework, speak with a board certified plastic surgeon who's a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to learn more about these regenerative treatments. Look, treatment modalities such as fat can be very, very powerful in the right patient if used judiciously. So I think it's important to do your homework and speak to a board certified plastic surgeon. The second thing I want to predict about 2026 is we will see we are now in an era of an aesthetic reset. And what does that mean? I think when we talk about aesthetic reset, people are trying to get back to more natural look. They want to look good, they want to look youthful, but they don't want to be overdone. And this is why we were going to continue seeing a decline in fillers. We're going to see a decline fortunately of overdone lips, overfilled, puffy cheeks, because the aesthetic is resetting to more balance, harmony, symmetry, and having a more naturally refreshed look.

(06:03):
Third, we're going to see a philosophical shift in plastic surgery. You're going to hear a lot more about preservation techniques, whether it be preservation techniques in the face preservation, rhinoplasty, or preservation breast surgery. So what are we talking about when we say preservation? We're really focusing on preserving your natural anatomy, but doing minimally invasive interventions to enhance your natural anatomy. So for instance, for preservation, I do a preservation deep plain face and neck lift. What does that mean? It means that I am doing all the work in the deeper layer of the face, but I'm preserving the anatomy between the skin and the face, maintaining its blood supply and achieving naturally refreshed results without changing the way you look. And by preserving your natural anatomy, I think it also expedites the recovery, less bruising, less swelling, faster recovery. For preservation breast surgery, there are new modalities out there such as preserve, where you can have a very conservative augmentation, preserving your natural anatomy, the ligaments, the structures in your breast with smaller incisions, which much less downtime.

(07:21):
Again, there's pros and cons with everything, but I think in plastic surgery, we're going to continue hearing more about preservation techniques. In other words, how do we preserve your natural anatomy to make subtle enhancements to give you the results that you're looking for? So the fourth prediction for 2026 is that we will continue to see an expansion of GLP one medications. The weight loss revolution will continue and to expand in the United States, and it will continue to expand because medicines get better with time. Technology's getting better, innovation's getting better. And what's right around the corner in 2026? It's the GLP one pill that is now FDA approved word has it that it will be a lower cost for patients given that you don't have to do a weekly injection and taking maybe a daily or weekly pill that makes it easier. And so I think you'll see more Americans embracing weight loss.

(08:17):
I think more Americans are going to get healthier. They're going to cure their diabetes, their hypertension, their sleep apnea. They're going to feel a lot better. And I'm hoping that just like we do with our patients are on the weight loss program, we educate them about optimizing their protein and really getting committed to resistance training, meaning exercising, building and maintaining muscle. As Americans get healthier, they're going to feel better. And I think that's a lot to be looking forward to as a nation. But as Americans are getting healthier, they want to look as good as they feel. And so when you lose weight, we all notice that volume loss in the cheeks when you're looking in the mirror or that new skin laxity that you're getting in your neck when you're putting on a tie or getting dressed for work, loose skin in the tummy area, volume loss in the breast, skin laxity everywhere.

(09:08):
So what I predict in 2026, and we'll see this in our statistics, is a continued increase in demand for cosmetic plastic surgery procedures of the face, breast and body, regardless of what's going on in the economy. And last but not least, my fifth prediction is AI will continue to reshape patient research, but I will predict that expertise and transparency and building trust will still matter the most. So AI is here. We're all using it. We use chat, GPT, croc or whatever tools that you're using to help us get information faster and more efficiently. A majority of patients are now using AI to research all of their doctors. We're not just talking about plastic surgery or med spot procedure. We're talking about orthopedic surgery, your general surgeon, your OB gyn, who you're picking to deliver your child. It's helping patients to get information better. However, I have to give everyone a word of caution.

(10:01):
Remember, AI is so good that it can create or fabricate before after pictures. Let's go one step further. AI is so good. It can create an entire patient journey from scratch. It can completely fabricate an entire patient experience with testimonials. So I think we all need to be very, very careful about what we see on social media, what we see on marketing, because it can be fabricated and it can unfortunately create some misinformation and unrealistic expectations of what can be really achieved with someone's tissue anatomy and given their limitations to their health status. So I think we all need to be cautious. I think AI is a great tool to start your process, but AI does not replace the expertise of a board certified plastic surgeon. A lot of these administrative processes can be streamlined for both the practice as well as the patient. So I think that's a good thing.

(10:58):
I think technology can also help technology such as AI can also help patients connect with practices more easily. Look, it's a 24 hour world and practices are open from usually eight to five. Some have some evening hours, but some people work all day and they're online, and they would love to connect with a practice after hours. And of course, our team members need to get rest just like we all do. And perhaps there's some tools that can help practices connect with patients after hours on the weekend. So I think ease of access is a potential opportunity with AI in 2026. That being said, some of these technological platforms are not perfect. Again, we need to be careful that the right information is being delivered to patients. And so I think we'll see this get better over time in 2026. However, AI should never replace the human voice and the human connection. AI is not replacing the surgeon, but it enhances what the surgeon can do for the patient. And so that's true for the surgeon. That's true for the practice. I think it helps people do their job better. It should help human beings connect with other human beings more efficiently, but it should not be a replacement for the human experience. So those are my five predictions for 2026, and we'll find out if I'm right in 2027. But if you agree or disagree or have some comments, send us a DM on our Instagram @BasuPlasticSurgery. Visit our website at basuplasticsurgery.com.

Announcer (12:36):
Basu Plastic Surgery is located in Northwest Houston in the Towne Lake area of Cypress. To learn more about the practice or ask a question, go to basuplasticsurgery.com/podcast. On Instagram, follow Dr. Basu and the team @BasuPlasticSurgery. That's BASU Plastic Surgery. Behind the Double Doors is a production of The Axis, theaxis.io.