Whether patients seek invasive surgeries or minimally-invasive “tweakments,” there is a common goal: lasting, natural results. Enter the undetectable era of aesthetics as patients express worry about unnatural results and view cosmetic treatments as a part of their beauty maintenance—interested in enhancing and upkeep of their unique features rather than altering them.
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Whether patients seek invasive surgeries or minimally-invasive “tweakments,” there is a common goal: lasting, natural results. Enter the undetectable era of aesthetics as patients express worry about unnatural results and view cosmetic treatments as a part of their beauty maintenance—interested in enhancing and upkeep of their unique features rather than altering them.
Merz Aesthetics’ global Pillars of Confidence study, surveying 15,000 adults, indicates that 79% of respondents prefer treatments that enhance rather than alter and 49% of respondents worry about unnatural results [1].
Driving Precision and Personalization: How Innovation in Technology Enhances Undetectable Aesthetic Surgeries and Treatments
Innovation is at the center of the undetectable trend in aesthetics, says Sara Sangha, Ph.D., associate vice president of medical affairs at Allergan Aesthetics. The demand for minimally invasive surgeries is likely to continue to grow as advancements in techniques and technologies progress, including AI capabilities in precision and personalization.
“Innovations at the point of care and prior to treatment visit, from ultrasound technology and 3D imaging to AI apps, help providers understand and offer customized treatments like never before,” Sangha says.
She adds that personalization—customized to address preferences, skin types and microbiome–is paramount when providing aesthetic treatments, as patients move away from a one-size-fits-all ideal of beauty towards embracing individuality and natural-looking results, according to an Allergan Aesthetics report [2]. This cultural shift, she says, drives demand for enhancements that are less obvious and preserve unique facial features.
Achieving “undetectable” results in aesthetic treatments, however, involves art and science, requiring a tailored approach to maintain natural-looking enhancements over time, says Kristy Hamilton, MD, FACS. The key, she says, is a combination of precision in the initial treatment plan and a well-structured maintenance regimen.
Technology capabilities enable precise preoperative planning, particularly in procedures like rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation, where millimeter-level adjustments make a significant difference, to achieve seamless, undetectable outcomes.
Hamilton says 3D imaging and simulation technologies can allow patients to visualize potential outcomes, helping set realistic expectations. Patients also present images generated from AI or social media filters, helping ensure a better understanding of patient goals and realistic standards, she says.
Allergan Aesthetics found that patients have a desire to look like themselves, just improved, Sangha says. 
Achieving “undetectable” results in aesthetic treatments, involves art and science, requiring a tailored approach to maintain natural-looking enhancements over time. The key is a combination of precision in the initial treatment plan and a well-structured maintenance regimen.Courtesy of dikushin at Adobe Stock
About 55% of patients surveyed in Allergan’s report were interested in filler to treat or minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Only 22% of patients surveyed were actually looking to augment their appearance, highlighting the “growing demand for subtle enhancements that compliment and not alter natural features.”
Social Media Influence: Millennials and Gen Z Shift Toward Subtle, Preventive Aesthetic Treatments
“Shifting societal beauty standards have also contributed to the change from dramatic transformations to undetectable enhancements,” Sangha says. “The desire for ‘Instagram vs. reality’ congruence also suggests a preference for subtle tweaks.”
Aesthetic patients are expressing interest in subtle treatments starting earlier in their life to help avoid dramatic changes later in life–known as preventive aesthetics, Sangha says, that is very popular among the millennials and Gen Z generation.
“Increasingly, I am recommending regenerative medicine modalities to my patients for maintenance such as biostimulators, PDRN, platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin, and exosome treatments—in line with the ‘collagen banking’ concept,” Hamilton says. “My approach involves a customized maintenance plan for each patient, incorporating routine assessments to adjust treatments based on their evolving aesthetic needs.”
Artistry’s Role in Understanding Anatomy to Achieve Undetectable Results
“For surgical procedures, longevity is built into the results by employing advanced techniques that respect natural anatomy, ensuring graceful and natural long-term results–never overdone,” Hamilton says.
Hamilton adds that ultrasound is a useful tool to supplement anatomy knowledge to diagnose and accurately identify previous filler placement, and allow for targeting dissolving where appropriate.
“Ultrasound is also helpful intra-operatively when placing fat through minimally invasive techniques to augment muscles of the body, or to safely augment the hips and buttock for subtle, natural curves in the appropriate surgical plane,” Hamilton says.
Preventative strategies play a crucial role in maintaining natural results over time post-op, she adds, using consistent skincare, sun protection and undergoing complementary treatments, such as collagen-boosting therapies, to help preserve results.
“The ultimate goal is not just to create a beautiful outcome, but to ensure that it remains harmonious and natural as the patient ages,” Hamilton says.
How a Combination of Gradual Treatments Achieves Natural, Timeless Results
Hamilton says the most seamless results are yielded with a combination of most, if not all, of them, explaining that subtle results are actually the product of a significant amount of treatments.
Non-surgical treatments, such as injectables, lasers and skin rejuvenation, require periodic touch-ups to sustain their effect. Hamilton recommends annual-to-biannual laser resurfacing for patients, quarterly neurotoxin treatments to soften dynamic lines and “conservative” use of hyaluronic acid fillers for sculpting of the face where appropriate.
“The key is a true facial analysis and individualized plan, frequent treatment and maintenance with a conservative approach,” she says. “Less is more at each visit, and gradual enhancements are not detectable.”
By strategically combining non-surgical treatments, patients achieve refreshed, youthful and undetectable results that enhance their natural features rather than alter them, Hamilton adds.
“Once the patient and I have achieved the desired look, then we focus more on regenerative medicine therapies and laser resurfacing to continue building collagen and rejuvenating the tissues without necessarily altering the structure of the face further,” Hamilton says.
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