Welcome to The Aesthetics Edit™ - our educational platform at the intersection of art, beauty, medicine and science.
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Eternal Beauty: Exploring the Aesthetic Concepts That Stand the Test of Time
Certain timeless aesthetic trends continue to inspire and influence us. These enduring trends have remained popular throughout history and continue to shape the way we think about beauty today. They are good guiding principles when you start treatment planning for any patient.
In this article, we will explore some of the aesthetic trends that stand the test of time.
Why Aesthetics Should be Medical, NOT a Beauty Trend
It shouldn’t be complicated or controversial to say that a medical specialty should be medical. Unfortunately, in this case, it sometimes is.
Aesthetic medicine is exactly that - a medical specialty. Unfortunately, lack of regulation in the UK has trivialised this specialty, and while it clearly is related to beauty, it is vitally important that it is understood to be completely distinct and separate from beauty. Medical aesthetics treatments are NOT beauty treatments.
Beauty treatments, make-up, fashion - these all follow trends that are influenced by place, time, and culture.
Medical treatments should not be based on trends.
The Rise of “Instagram Face”
The concept of “Instagram face” is not a new one, but has received more recent attention as Meta has banned filters that encourage plastic surgery. Awareness of the role that social media and photo editing plays in aesthetic medicine is incredibly important for both clinicians and patients. The influence of social media can be incredibly negative, and it means it’s more important than ever to navigate between good, ethical medical practice versus “selling” cosmetic procedures.
“Fox Eyes:” My Eyes Are Not Your Beauty Trend
The first second I saw #foxeye trending, an instant little curl of disgust went through me. Whether it was through posing, make-up, or thread lifts, I was bombarded with image after image of mostly white women pulling up and slanting their eyes as if it were a fashion statement.
Some of my earliest memories from school are of fellow students pulling up their eyes in the same gesture towards me - this time not as a beauty trend but as a taunt and insult.
Ethics in Aesthetic Medicine
This article is geared towards other medical professionals, and is a brief reflection on the ethics of cosmetic medicine, through the guiding four principles of medical ethics.
Understanding aesthetic medicine in relation to its ethical context begins with appreciating the complexity inherent within it.
The concept of “Instagram face” is not a new one, but has received more recent attention as Meta has banned filters that encourage plastic surgery. Awareness of the role that social media and photo editing plays in aesthetic medicine is incredibly important for both clinicians and patients. The influence of social media can be incredibly negative, and it means it’s more important than ever to navigate between good, ethical medical practice versus “selling” cosmetic procedures.