The popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor inhibitors (GLP-1) medications for weight loss led to a surge of new cosmetic patients seeking body-contouring solutions in 2025, according to a trend report from RealSelf.
Traffic to GLP-1 related content on RealSelf jumped 2080% year-on-year, and surgeons nationwide reported an increased demand for facial skin tightening and volume restoration, as well as procedures ranging from tummy tucks and arm lifts to full body lifts to remove sagging skin.
Other cosmetic surgery trends in 2025 include:
- Smaller implants and “ballerina” breasts, with patients favoring subtle fat grafting or smaller implants.
- Minimally invasive facial optimization and skin regeneration, including a rising demand for biostimulators like PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) and PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin), and microtox (also known as “baby Botox”), along with fillers. Post-Weight-loss patients gravitated toward biostimulatory fillers like Sculptra, as well as fat-derived options like Renuva and the new body filler alloClae, both derived from donor adipose tissue.
- Rib remodeling.
“In 2025, we saw a remarkable shift in how patients approach aesthetics, prioritizing natural, balanced results that dovetail perfectly with the broader wellness trend,” says Minou Clark, CEO of RealSelf, in a news release. “Patients are making informed choices, seeking results that enhance who they already are, and sharing their beauty journey more openly than ever before. Combining insights from millions of consumers with the firsthand perspectives of plastic surgeons and aesthetic experts, we get a full picture of what’s driving decisions in the real world and how emerging trends like post-GLP-1 body contouring and subtle, functional enhancements are reshaping the industry.”
Cosmetic Surgery: What’s to Come in 2026?
ReaSelf experts also took out their crystal balls to predict what cosmetic patients will seek in 2026.
Here are some of their best bets:
- Pre-weight-loss “fat banking” will become more widely available
- Post-weight-loss body contouring procedures will continue to rise
- Regenerative aesthetics will become the new backbone of aesthetic medicine, with polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) treatments, like salmon sperm facials, taking center stage.
- Patients will demand less invasive procedures.
- AI will reshape aesthetics from treatment planning and results-prediction modeling to enhanced patient-provider communication.
- Rib remodeling will continue to surge.
The new report is based on consumer search data on RealSelf.com from January 1 through October 31, 2025.
