COMING

DIMPLES ON DEMAND

Dimples are the new must-have accessory. Thanks to the likes (or looks) of Harry Stiles, Gabrielle Union, Miranda Kerr, and Brad Pitt, dimplepasty is fast on its way to becoming the procedure du jour, according to multiple anecdotal reports. (There's also an uptick of interest in lower-back or “Venus” dimples ala Kendall Jenner and Kristen Stewart, but I digress…)

Celebrity emulation is, of course, a big driver in the desire for surgeon-crafted cheek dimples, but so too is our growing selfie-awareness. Social media has changed how we see images, when we see them, where we see them, and who sees them. As a result, many of us spend more time than we should dissecting photos and hyperfocusing on perceived or actual imperfections—such as a lack of cheek dimples. This has fueled interest in plastic surgeries that are minimally invasive, quick, and fairly safe to perform. We make an incision in the cheek muscle, which we then attach to the undersurface of the skin and voila, dimples! This trend may or may not have real staying power, but it hasn't yet hit its tipping point. You've been warned.

GOING

BALDNESS

Bald may not be so beautiful anymore. The mantra—once so brazenly proclaimed by people who lost their hair prematurely and those who loved them—may be falling out of favor due to advances in hair restoration techniques, including the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to enhance the effects of said techniques.

Far gone are the days when hair transplants looked as if someone haphazardly planted clumps of astroturf across an unsuspecting scalp.

Today's hair transplants produce much more natural-looking results, largely because surgeons can extract and harvest small follicular units.

PRP is increasingly being used with hair transplantation as well as a stand-alone procedure for hair loss. And PRP may be the tip of the regenerative medicine iceberg when it comes to hair restoration. Several promising studies are looking at the utility of various cell populations for hair loss. One study in Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Application found that injecting stomach fat into the scalp may reverse baldness. Another company is investigating dermal sheath cup cells isolated from hair follicle as a potential treatment for androgenetic alopecia. While most of this research is in its infancy, we have made great strides in treating hair loss already. That said, bald may still be beautiful in some cases (see Charlize Theron in Mad Max Fury Road) ... but only in the eye of the beholder.