Aesthetic trends shaping 2024

As the world of aesthetic medicine evolves, innovative treatments redefine beauty, offering natural results with minimal downtime. Shriyal Sethumadhavan takes a sneak peek into the future of skincare and transformative procedures.

In an era where the pursuit of beauty harmonises with technological advancements, the landscape of aesthetic medicine is undergoing a dynamic transformation. The past year has witnessed a surge in groundbreaking treatments, propelling the field into an era of innovation and personalised care. From non-surgical facelifts and rejuvenation using the patient’s own blood components to advanced procedures like microneedling and radiofrequency, the aesthetic horizon is expanding rapidly. This shift from traditional treatments to cutting-edge alternatives signifies a move towards a more personalised and holistic approach. As we step into 2024, the anticipation for a significant surge in demand for these innovative aesthetic treatments underscores a growing preference for safer, natural-looking options.

Aesthetic Medicine India reached out to experienced dermatologists to explore the future of beauty, where technology meets personalised care, and where each treatment is a step towards enhancing natural beauty with minimal inconvenience. Excerpts from inputs received:

Dr Priti Shenai, Dermatologist, Skinworks Skin, Hair and Laser Clinic

“In the dynamic field of aesthetic medicine, the past year has witnessed a surge in innovative treatments.

Thread lifts offer a non-surgical facelift with minimal downtime, while PRP therapy utilises the patient’s own blood components for natural rejuvenation. The combination of microneedling and radiofrequency enhances skin texture and tightens loose skin. Lower doses of neuromodulators are increasingly embraced for preventive ageing, targeting fine lines early on. High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) has gained traction for non-invasive body contouring. Advancements in laser skin resurfacing focus on shorter downtime and improved safety. Additionally, the rise of personalised skincare formulations, tailored to individual genetic factors, signifies a shift towards more personalised approaches in the ever-evolving landscape of aesthetic medicine.

These cutting-edge procedures differ from traditional treatments by offering non-surgical alternatives with minimal downtime, utilising natural components like the patient’s own blood in PRP therapy, and providing more comprehensive results, as seen in the combination of microneedling and radiofrequency. The shift towards lower-dose neuromodulators for preventive ageing signifies a proactive approach to wrinkle management. Non-invasive body contouring with HIFU replaces the need for surgical liposuction, and advancements in laser skin resurfacing prioritise precision and faster recovery. Personalised skincare formulations cater to individual genetic factors, departing from one-size-fits-all approaches. In terms of skin boosters like Volite and Profilo, they represent a revolutionary treatment that addresses patients’ concerns about achieving natural-looking results while enhancing skin health. This treatment boosts collagen, hydrates, plumps, and provides a natural appearance. In an era where some individuals are apprehensive about Botox and fillers due to fears of an unnatural or plastic look, skin boosters have undergone a significant revolution in the past year. This trend is likely to continue and evolve even further. These innovations benefit practitioners by expanding treatment options and improving safety, while patients experience reduced risks, shorter recovery times, and more natural-looking results.

Anticipating a significant surge in demand for innovative aesthetic treatments in 2024, the growth is fueled by a preference for minimally invasive procedures, naturallooking results, and reduced downtime. The appeal of nonsurgical options like thread lifts, PRP therapy, and lower-dose neuromodulators aligns with patient preferences for safer alternatives. Personalised skincare formulations contribute to the trend by addressing individual concerns. As awareness increases and these procedures continue to evolve, the demand is expected to rise, driven by a desire for effective, tailored treatments that enhance natural beauty with minimal inconvenience.

With a projection for substantial growth in 2024, the demand for innovative aesthetic treatments is expected to soar. This surge is underpinned by a preference for minimally invasive procedures, emphasising natural-looking results and reduced downtime. The popularity of non-surgical alternatives such as thread lifts, PRP therapy, and lower-dose neuromodulators aligns seamlessly with the rising demand for safer options. The incorporation of personalised skincare formulations further propels this trend by directly addressing individual concerns. As awareness continues to expand and these procedures advance, the demand is poised to escalate. This anticipated growth is driven by a collective desire for effective, tailored treatments that enhance natural beauty while minimising inconvenience.”

Dr Shefali Trasi Nerurkar, MBBS, MD (Dermatology), Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Trasi clinic and La Piel skin clinic

“Recent trends in aesthetic medicine include a growing interest in minimally invasive procedures and natural-looking results. There is also an increased emphasis on personalised skincare routines and the use of advanced technologies to personalise skincare based on the genetic makeup of an individual.

Facial sculpting and rejuvenating advancements include:

• Microneedling continues to be the most sought-after treatment. With the latest microneedling radiofrequency machines, we can treat the entire thickness of the skin. In addition to microneedling, radiofrequency skin tightening is beneficial when treating skin with scars, stretch marks, and laxity. This treatment can be combined with mesosolutions containing active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinol, and PRP, to penetrate deep inside without injections, resulting in overall skin rejuvenation. A single session can produce natural-looking results.

• Exosomes are another new addition to aesthetic treatments. They consist of natural stem cell solutions for brightening and rejuvenating the skin and have been successfully used for hair growth. This involves injecting these actives into the skin or scalp at regular intervals for favourable results.

Newer topical technologies include:

• Topical skincare products are experiencing a surge in technology with products like fully stabilised cysteamine for hyper-pigmentary disorders and fully stabilised vitamin C for anti-ageing.

• Topical hair care products have also seen a boost with products like cetosomal technology in minoxidil and minoxidil boosters to improve the efficacy of minoxidil on the scalp.

Traditional treatments consisted of fixed technologies with a tell-tale sign for a few days. Nowadays, one can perform an aesthetic procedure without downtime, literally making it a lunchtime procedure. The introduction of HydraFacial-like devices and the relaunch of excellent meso-solutions help procure glowing and rejuvenated skin, enhancing patient comfort and safety while delivering effective aesthetic outcomes. The refinement of older technologies and the trend of combination treatments are also delivering better results with fewer sittings. Lastly, there is better patient acceptability regarding undergoing these treatments. The percentage of the population entering aesthetic clinics and undergoing these treatments has increased in the last few years. They are open to trying out newer treatments and skincare products compared to earlier years.”

Dr Anil Ganjoo, Sr Consultant Dermatologist and Laser Surgeon, and Director, Skinnovation Clinics

“The aesthetic procedures that have been most gratifying and sought after include hair transplantation, skin tone, and texture improvement with Q-switched laser, thread-lifts, botulinum toxin injections, and body and facial contouring with fillers and energy-based devices. These cutting-edge procedures have evolved and improved over time, delivering gratifying results to the patients. Both the techniques and devices have undergone enhancements. Certainly, given that these procedures consistently yield positive results, they are bound to gain even more popularity over time.”

Dr Geeta Patel, Dermatologist, Zahra Skin and Laser Clinic

“The most innovative treatments that gained significant traction last year are microneedling RF, especially Morpheus. We have witnessed amazing results in terms of acne scar remodelling and skin tightening for anti-ageing. Another notable treatment is PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotides) for skin ageing, hydration, and especially for under-eye area rejuvenation. Patients are pleased with the almost immediate rejuvenation effects, especially in the under-eye area. We have also observed good results in pigmentation and melasma. PDRN is an injectable treatment administered at bio-aesthetic points, typically in a series of four to five sessions, and patients seem to tolerate it better than fillers.

Traditionally, for acne scars, we have utilised lasers like CO2 and erbium glass. However, this new generation MNRF is colour-blind, making it the treatment of choice for skin of colour. Additionally, the downtime is one to three days, much less than lasers, which has gained favour with patients. Apart from acne scar reduction, it provides a tightening effect, resulting in younger-looking skin, which patients appreciate. PDRN is less expensive than the currently available skin boosters and also offers higher satisfaction in the under-eye area, along with therapeutic effects in pigmented skin.

The demand for both treatments is expected to rise as people now prefer minimal downtime, natural-looking treatments, multitasking procedures with faster results, and a greater emphasis on achieving a glowing complexion.”

Dr Rupali Pavaskar, Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Trichologist, Dr Rupali Pavaskar’s Clinic &Transforme Dermo-Cosmetic Center, Thane

“People are awakening to the need to take care of their necks along with their faces. Anti-ageing treatments for the face without caring for the neck make something look off as if the body belongs to a different person. The most popular treatments for the neck at our clinic are MNRF, Prohfilo, and Erbium glass laser. MNRF and Erbium glass laser help in damaging the ageing collagen and elastin without causing significant damage to the epidermis, ensuring minimal downtime. The skin becomes tighter and less wrinkly. However, the real juicy bit is provided by the Prohfilo treatment, which with its combination of small and big-sized hyaluronic molecules, just takes the skin back a couple of years. The eye is another area that is and always has been a prime concern for all of us. Early sagging of the eyelids causing droopy eyelids, cholesterol deposits, wrinkly under eyes, and tear trough. Blepharoplasty, liquid eye fillers with mesopen, PRP (plateletrich plasma therapy), filling of the tear troughs with low Gprime fillers (skin boosters or Prohfilo) to prevent the Tyndall effect are seen to be gaining popularity. Here again, Erbium glass and CO2 fractional (hybrid therapy) play a significant role in taking care of those patients who are unwilling to undergo the knife.

Traditional treatments like radiofrequency, rollers, and skin polishing and peeling take a good amount of time to deliver desirable results as against the faster and significantly better results delivered by the latest technologies. Delivering faster results enables us to cater to a larger population rather than calling in the same less-happy patients again and again. Secondly, giving our patients wow results in fewer sessions not only increases the footfall by word of mouth but also increases the chances of these treated patients coming in for other indications. Delighted patients, happy doctors!

Looking and feeling youthful increases our energy levels, and boosts our morale and productivity. Hence the need for cosmetic treatments will see only the way up. Thanks to social media awareness, previously people would come with problems but now they come with problems and treatment options. Happy 2024 for the patients and us!”