AAFPRS Highlights Energy-Based Device Trends Defining Aesthetic Advancements in 2025

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) is spotlighting the latest innovations in energy-based devices (EBDs), signaling a shift toward increasingly personalized, nonsurgical facial rejuvenation in 2025.

According to AAFPRS President Anthony E. Brissett, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in Houston, the rise of precision and combination therapy is reshaping aesthetic strategies.

“2025 is all about personalization, precision, and combining technologies to achieve results patients truly notice,” Dr. Brissett stated.

The Academy reports that EBDs are being layered with injectables and, when needed, surgical procedures to deliver comprehensive, natural-looking results with minimal downtime. Among the most notable shifts is the growing popularity of “weekend lifts”—nonsurgical tightening and contouring treatments that utilize ultrasound, fractional resurfacing, and other technologies to address post-weight-loss laxity and enhance facial definition.

Combination therapies are also boosting the efficacy of traditional CO₂ laser resurfacing. By adding radiofrequency microneedling, deeper dermal stimulation enhances collagen and elastin production, leading to improved tone, texture, and quicker recovery.

For patients seeking less aggressive options, fractional Erbium or Erbium-RF resurfacing offers targeted rejuvenation with reduced downtime. These treatments promote firmness and clarity through controlled energy delivery, sparing surrounding tissues.

"Energy-based devices are no longer one-size-fits-all but instead they are layered, targeted, and precise, allowing physicians to fine-tune outcomes like never before,” said Michael Somenek, MD, Chair of the AAFPRS Public Information, PR, and Social Media Committee.

These advancements, AAFPRS notes, mark a turning point in patient-centered facial aesthetics as the specialty moves toward 2026.