2020 doesn’t just mark the beginning of a new year; it marks the beginning of a new decade. It also means a whole new era of health and beauty changes as trends and technologies shift towards the future. As you reflect on what your personal goals will be for the upcoming year or the next 10, we’ve put together a list of some of the most popular health and beauty trends to expect in 2020 and what they mean for you.

Self-Care

Self-improvement is a popular trend around the beginning of any new year, with resolutions commonly centered around eating healthier, working out more or finally quitting bad habits. While these are still popular goals, a new trend has surfaced in recent years that seems to be lasting longer than most New Year’s resolutions. Self-care, or the new self-improvement, is a trend that we will likely continue to hear about for many years to come. In fact, in January 2019, Barnes and Noble reported for the first time that books dedicated to mental health and wellness outsold books about dieting and exercise.

Self-care can be a challenging concept to define as it tends to vary from person to person, but it is essentially a holistic approach to wellness that involves taking care of your whole self — mind, body and spirit — for your overall well-being and happiness. While prioritizing yourself and your own needs were once deemed selfish by older generations, younger generations are readily welcoming the trend, perhaps in response to skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression in America. Self-care can be whatever you need it to be, including practicing self-love, investing in therapy, or simply taking a long, relaxing bath. In the new decade, we can expect to see more of an emphasis on self-care for the betterment of our lives.

Neurotoxin Injectables

Neurotoxin injectables like Botox and Dysport are no strangers to the spotlight. In fact, these injectable neurotoxins containing botulinum toxin type A have been the most popular nonsurgical procedure since 1999, and it doesn’t look like they’re giving up that title any time soon. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), neurotoxin injectables saw a 36 percent increase between 2014 and 2018 alone, and those numbers continue to rise. As we head into the new decade, a new trend that seems to be emerging is the age in which patients are receiving these injections and their attitudes towards them.

In the era of social media and selfies, younger generations, like millennials and Gen Z, have no preconceived stigmas surrounding surgical or nonsurgical aesthetic procedures. There is less shame in wanting to look good, especially with the presence of cameras virtually everywhere. In recent years the use of neurotoxin injectables in younger patients has increased for preventing signs of aging rather than correcting signs that are already there. Millennials are flocking to injectable treatments to keep their youthful, supple and camera-ready skin for as long as possible. In the new decade, we will likely continue to see the use of these injectable treatments rise in younger patients, as well as new uses for the concerns they can treat as patient demographics shift.

Meatless Meats

Meatless meats are nothing new to this decade. Products such as veggie burgers and tofu have been available in grocery stores for years for the vegetarian and vegan market — which only makes up about three percent of the U.S. population. However, 2019 marked an incredible year for the next generation of alternative meat products, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down. Chances are you probably noticed a few brands like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meats showing up on the menu at your favorite fast-food restaurant or popping up at your local grocery store. The popularity of plant-based meats today has a critical distinction from the products of the past: they are made to taste like meat and be eaten by meat-eaters, not just vegetarians or vegans.

As consumers continue to grow more conscious of their health and the state of the environment, they are looking for more sustainable food products that still deliver on nutrition and taste. The meatless meats hitting the market now are designed to mimic the experience of eating real meat — some even “bleed” like real meat — and serve as a healthier and eco-friendly option for meat-eaters. The rise of meatless meat can have a massive impact on the environment, including reducing land use, water use and greenhouse gases emitted by livestock cultivation. In 2020 we will likely continue to see the meat-free meats trend grow as meat alternatives become tastier and more widely available to meat-eating consumers everywhere.

Nonsurgical Body Contouring

Nonsurgical body contouring encompasses a wide range of treatments. Today countless energy-based systems allow you to freeze or melt away your fat, tighten your skin or even smooth the appearance of pesky cellulite without ever having to go under the knife. Because slimming down stubborn areas of fat or volume reduction no longer requires invasive measures such as liposuction, more patients than ever before have the opportunity to undergo body contouring procedures without the need for anesthesia or the serious health risks that accompany surgery.

According to experts, this is only the beginning of noninvasive body contouring procedures. Treatments today are becoming more effective and more refined, with technologies now being used to effortlessly build muscle mass in targeted regions or eliminate fat cells for good. As we enter the new decade, we will likely continue to see even more advancements in this field as well as more patients undergoing these treatments.

At Body Symmetry MD, we pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of the latest health and beauty trends to help our patients become the best version of themselves. As you reflect on the future and what is to come, let our wellness specialists make your resolutions a reality. Whether you are interested in neurotoxin injectables, nonsurgical body contouring or medically-guided weight loss, we can ensure that you look and feel your best well into the next decade. Contact our office at 833-789-2639 to learn more today.