Facial Plastic Surgery Trends 2026: What I’m Seeing in Austin
At the start of this year, I made a few predictions about where facial plastic surgery was headed in 2026. They came from the patients walking into my Austin office and the questions I was hearing more and more often.
Now that we’re into the fall, I’m happy to say those predictions have held up over the year.
Here are the six trends I expected to shape this year, and why I think most of them are good news for patients.
1. The End of the Barbie Nose
The “Barbie nose” is an exaggerated, obviously operated rhinoplasty look. I think it grew out of what people called the Turkish nose trend: a very scooped bridge and a tip that’s overly projected and narrow. When you see it, you know the person has had a rhinoplasty.
A few patients still ask me for this look. Far fewer than before. Most of my patients now come in saying they specifically don’t want a Barbie nose. They want a natural nose that fits the rest of their face.
I avoid trend-driven surgery in general because trends go out of style quickly. We’ve seen this before. Decades ago, the Goldman tip technique created a tiny, pointed tip but removed a lot of tip structure. Many of those women are now trying to have it revised as they get older, and it’s very difficult. Over-reducing the bridge for a Barbie nose can be just as hard to repair and may require rib grafts or other cartilage grafts.
With rhinoplasty, you want to get it right the first time. I wrote more about this in my post on the Barbie nose trend.
2. The Deep Plane Facelift Keeps Growing
The deep plane facelift has gained more popularity than any other technique. It got a little controversial in 2025 after public debate about what kind of facelift Kris Jenner had, but overall interest kept climbing.
There’s a good reason for that. In a deep plane facelift, I release the ligaments that hold the weight of the face down. Once they’re released, there’s less tension on the incisions and less pulling on the earlobe, so you avoid the “pixie ear” look. Everything looks more natural.
Longevity is part of the appeal too. A 2026 study titled Thirty Years of Deep Plane Facelifts reviewed one surgeon’s revision facelift patients over three decades and measured how long they waited before a second lift. It’s a single-practice review, but long-term data like this is rare. I covered it in detail in how long does a deep plane facelift last.
3. Dissolving Filler and Switching to Fat
More people are coming to me to dissolve their filler and replace it with fat injection. Many are dealing with volume loss, especially after significant weight loss on GLP-1 medications, or after dissolving filler they’d had for years.
When volume that’s been there a long time goes away, the skin can look looser. Some of these patients need a facelift at the same time.
In my office, I’m dissolving more hyaluronic acid filler than I’m placing. I use fat in almost all of my facial rejuvenation patients. It adds volume in a natural way that doesn’t hold as much water, and fat also contains regenerative cells. A 2023 review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery discusses how adipose-derived stem cells and patient age relate to how well fat grafts survive.
I love this trend, and I expect it to continue. If you’re losing weight on a GLP-1, my post on Ozempic face explains what’s happening.
4. Surgeons Becoming More Specialized
More surgeons, in facial plastics and in body surgery, are narrowing their focus to one procedure or a small group of procedures. And patients are more willing to travel across the country, or even across the world, to see someone who specializes in exactly what they want.
For me, that niche is hairline lowering and brow bone reduction in women. Not many surgeons do these, and few do them as often as I do. Sometimes I combine them with a deep plane facelift so the patient has one recovery.
Many patients in my practice now come from out of state. We’ve made a lot of adjustments for traveling patients, and colleagues around the country tell me they’re seeing the same thing. If you’re planning to travel, my out-of-town patient page and my post on traveling for a deep plane facelift in Austin can help.
5. More Comfort With Structural Change
Patients, men and women, are becoming more open to changing the structure of the face, beyond the soft tissue. That includes brow bone reduction, jaw contouring, and tracheal shave.
Rhinoplasty has always been a structural change. These other procedures were barely known until recently. Social media and AI tools have made them much more visible, and younger patients in particular are comfortable narrowing the jawline or reducing forehead volume. I’m excited about this, because it lets me combine structural work with the soft tissue procedures I already do.
6. Fewer Scare Tactics
My last prediction was more of a hope. Last year, a lot of people watched videos from surgeons that scared them away from treatments like radiofrequency microneedling and biostimulatory fillers, leaving surgery as the only option.
There’s a middle ground. These treatments have a place, and in the right hands they can help bridge the gap for someone who isn’t ready for surgery. There are legitimate questions too. A 2026 scoping review in JMIR Dermatology raised concerns that radiofrequency microneedling may cause fibrosis that could affect a later facelift. Questions like that deserve careful study and honest discussion. They don’t justify blanket fear.
In my own practice, controlled settings matter a lot. I share what I’ve seen in surgery in my post on Morpheus8 before a facelift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Barbie nose trend over?
In my practice, demand has dropped sharply. Most patients want a natural nose that blends with their face.
Should I dissolve my filler before a facelift?
Sometimes. If filler has migrated or looks heavy, dissolving it and using fat can give a more natural result. We’ll decide together during your consult.
Is it worth traveling for a specialist?
For niche procedures like hairline lowering or brow bone reduction, many patients feel it is. Plan for follow-up care at home too.
The Trend I Hope Sticks Around
The common thread this year is a move toward results that look natural and hold up over time. That’s one trend I hope never goes out of style. If you’re curious where you fit in all of this, schedule a consultation at my office in southwest Austin, toward Dripping Springs, or start with a virtual visit if you’re coming from out of town.
You May Also Like:
- The Barbie Nose Trend
- How Long Does a Deep Plane Facelift Last?
- Understanding Ozempic Face
- Brow Bone Reduction for Frontal Bossing
- A Comprehensive Guide to RF Microneedling Devices
- Fat Grafting Gallery
References
- Levin M, Frankel A. Thirty Years of Deep Plane Facelifts: Characterizing Outcomes and Longevity. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2026;28(5):482-487.
- Trotzier C, et al. Fat Graft Retention: Adipose Tissue, Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, and Aging. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2023;151(3):420e-431e.
- Panlilio M, et al. Navigating the Intersection of Radiofrequency Microneedling and Surgical Facelifts: Scoping Review. JMIR Dermatol. 2026;9:e78385.
