If you have trouble breathing but also aren't happy with your nose, you are not alone. Combining functional surgeries with cosmetic features is on the rise. Dr. Yagoda is both a cosmetic facial plastic surgeon and ear, nose, and throat surgeon, so she is an expert in both fields. As an example of a combined surgery, a rhinoplasty may be performed to repair a deviated septum but can also serve to reshape the nose tip or narrow the nostrils. This cuts the patient's downtime to only one post-operative recovery period!

A second --but similar trend -- is combining treatments in order to get the most effective results. By "piggybacking the progress" of cosmetic treatments, patients see longer-lasting outcomes as well as minimizing costs and any necessary recovery time. There is a reason many of our patients have both filler and Botox treatments in the same day: Fillers can help pinpoint problem areas and make the injectable results last longer. Additionally, by making sure to return to a follow-up appointment at around the six month mark (if using fillers) for a re-injection, the filler results can be extended by another few months, depending on the specific area they were used in.

A final focus is on how small changes can make up to big impacts. Facial plastic surgeons expect to see an increase in the amount of "minor" procedures done in their offices. This includes mole removal, ear repair, or even laser treatments to fix sun damage and other skin spots. Often overlooked in favor of surgery or injectables, by tweaking a small facial problem, patients receive a confidence boost that positively impacts other area of their lives. Another perk of minor tweaks is that smaller surgeries (mole removal for example) are done in the office under local anesthesia. Only taking about an hour with very minor post-op care, the results are immediate!

It looks like 2015 will be a year focused on combining treatments in order to obtain long-lasting, effective results -- at least in the field of facial plastic surgery! With the country's focus on social media (including selfies, of course) it is no surprise that plastic surgery of any kind is on the rise. Since everyone likes to stay up on the current trends, try considering some of the treatments mentioned in AAFPRS' data. After all, even if you decide to only make an office visit, taking that first step might lead to a confidence boost to take the next ones. With January comes a fresh start -- embrace it! Happy New Year!