Dr Mark Kohout is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon with over 25 years’ experience in facial, breast and body surgery. His Sydney-based clinic offers tailored procedures integrating advanced surgical techniques with cutting-edge regenerative technologies. Here, he discusses whether we are following the plastic surgery trends predicted for 2025. Or ignoring them!
As we pass the midpoint of 2025, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on the aesthetic trends that were predicted to shape the year. Back in January, Aesthetic Medical Practitioner published The Big Aesthetic Reset, forecasting a more considered, regenerative, and natural approach to cosmetic treatments – less about chasing perfection and more about restoring confidence and identity.
Now, with over 25 years in practice, I can confidently say: those trends haven’t just proven accurate. They’ve become the guiding principles behind many of the procedures I’m performing in-clinic. But they’re also evolving in nuanced ways, particularly when it comes to skin tightening technologies, body contouring, and combination facial rejuvenation techniques.
The Rise of Skin Tightening as a Surgical Adjunct
While the 2025 report rightly highlighted the rise of regenerative aesthetics and hormonal balancing, one area that deserves more attention is the increasing use of skin-tightening technologies in conjunction with traditional surgery. As surgeons, we’re no longer relying solely on lifting or excision techniques; now we’re enhancing those results with devices like BodyTite, Ignite RF, Quantum RF and Morpheus8.
These radiofrequency-based modalities have become game-changers. When used alongside facelifts or neck lifts, they allow for more refined skin contraction – particularly in patients with mild to moderate laxity who might not benefit from aggressive pulling or cutting. Similarly, in body contouring procedures such as thigh lifts, arm reshaping, or lower abdominal sculpting, these devices improve skin tone and texture, allowing for more natural, taut results without overreliance on scars or extensive tissue removal.
We are, in essence, entering a new era where surgery is not just mechanical – it’s regenerative and energy-assisted. This synergy between surgical expertise and technological enhancement is where the field is heading.
Explants, Fat Grafting and the Hybrid Breast Augmentation
Another trend we’re seeing more frequently in 2025 is a more mindful approach to breast augmentation. Explant surgeries – the removal of breast implants – have seen a noticeable increase, driven by patients who are prioritising long-term health and body harmony over volume. Interestingly, these procedures are rarely the end of the road; they often mark the beginning of a transformation.
Enter fat grafting, which has become a key restorative technique. Many women are choosing to replace the volume lost from implant removal with their own tissue, taken from areas like the abdomen or thighs. This approach not only gives a softer, more natural result but aligns with the overarching theme of 2025: authenticity and restoration over exaggeration.
We’re also seeing a rise in hybrid breast augmentation, combining smaller implants with fat grafting to enhance the breast contour in a subtle, sculpted way. This method creates a more natural slope and feel, while addressing areas that fat graft alone may not optimally fill – like the upper pole or cleavage zone.
Facial Harmony: The Power of the Pan-Facial Approach
The concept of pan-facial rejuvenation – treating the entire face as a unified aesthetic unit – is gaining traction, and for good reason. Traditionally, patients might have come in requesting a facelift in isolation, or perhaps upper eyelid surgery. But increasingly, we’re seeing patients interested in a more holistic strategy.
By performing facelifts alongside brow lifts, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), laser resurfacing and fat grafting, we’re able to subtly address multiple ageing vectors at once. No single component needs to be extreme – in fact, restraint is key – but together, these interventions deliver a far more harmonious, natural-looking outcome.
This approach avoids the “operated-on” look and instead restores the balanced volume, skin quality, and facial position that patients remember from younger years. It’s a shift away from piece-meal ageing management and towards comprehensive, personalised facial renewal.
Ozempic and the Body Contouring Boom
Ozempic and the Body Contouring Boom
The article also touched on the “Ozempic body” – a by-product of the dramatic weight loss many patients are experiencing through GLP-1 medications. While these drugs can be effective, they often leave behind skin laxity, particularly in the face, arms, abdomen and thighs. Here again, we see the value of pairing surgical procedures with energy-based skin tightening. Patients are looking not just to lose weight but to refine their new shape, and that requires a bespoke strategy – often combining liposuction, skin excision, and adjunctive RF tightening for optimal outcomes.
The aesthetic landscape of 2025 is proving to be one of refinement, balance, and restoration. We are indeed living through The Big Aesthetic Reset, but we’re also seeing micro-trends emerge that add even greater nuance to the field. As a plastic surgeon, I welcome this evolution. Patients are better informed, more intentional, and increasingly interested in long-term results over short-term fixes. They want subtle, smart rejuvenation – not overcorrection. They value natural beauty, personalised planning, and collaborative treatment pathways that incorporate surgical, technological and regenerative elements.
It’s not just about what we can do anymore – it’s about knowing why, how and when to do it.
