Treatments & Spa
Menopause Consultations Jump Among Facial Plastic Surgery Patients
45% of facial plastic surgeons now report patients citing menopause as a treatment driver, up from 28% in 2024, per the AAFPRS 2025 member survey.
Forty-five percent of facial plastic surgeons say more female patients are citing menopause or perimenopause as a reason for seeking treatment, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's (AAFPRS) 2025 annual member survey. In 2024, that figure was 28 percent.
The jump points to a shift in the consultation room: women are naming hormonal change directly, rather than describing only its symptoms.
"Menopause can bring noticeable changes to the skin and face, and patients are increasingly making that connection when they come in for a consultation," says Houston facial plastic surgeon Anthony Brissett, MD, president of the AAFPRS. "What we are seeing is a greater willingness to talk openly about those effects and to ask what is happening, what is normal, and what options may exist."
The survey captures broader demand signals as well. Sixty-six percent of AAFPRS members reported a rise in eyelid procedures among patients who want to appear less tired. Half say patients are turning to cosmetic treatments to stay competitive at work.
What Patients Are Reporting
Beverly Hills, CA, facial plastic surgeon Kimberly Lee, MD hears the pattern from patients in their 40s and 50s. "They often share that they've aged suddenly with drier skin, more fine lines and wrinkles, decreased facial volume, and sagging in the jawline and neck," she says. What those patients want, she adds, is to address those changes while still looking natural and like themselves.
The biology behind those complaints is concrete. During the menopause transition, Dr. Lee says, loss of elasticity and collagen, decreased hydration and thinning skin make changes in skin texture more noticeable. She is quick to add that menopause does not act alone: environmental exposure, genetics, facial animation and changes in fat volume also contribute to the changes women see in the mirror.
Menopause Is Not the Whole Diagnosis
Dr. Lee takes a whole-face approach rather than a hormonal one. "When I evaluate patient faces I don't usually try to separate them into menopause vs aging," she says. "Instead I look at the overall face to determine what the skin quality, volume loss, and structural changes may be to come up with a plan to address these changes."
That plan varies by patient and anatomy. It might mean focusing on skin quality and collagen, restoring lost volume, relaxing specific muscles that contribute to wrinkles, or addressing skin laxity.
"It reinforces the importance of treating the changes a woman is experiencing instead of automatically treating every menopausal face the same," she says.
What the Numbers Mean for the Market
The near-doubling of menopause-driven consultations in one year suggests a patient population that is better informed about hormonal skin changes and more willing to name them aloud. For practitioners and brands building menopause-specific skincare and treatment protocols, the AAFPRS data signals a demand curve moving in one direction.
The AAFPRS recommends discussing any concerns with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and talking with a doctor about overall health during the menopause transition. Ultimately, "menopause is only one factor contributing to facial aging," Dr. Lee says, "and the goal is always restoring balance while maintaining natural appearing results."
As patient openness continues to grow, per Dr. Brissett's observation about willingness to ask "what options may exist," consultation conversations around perimenopause are likely to become a standard — not exceptional — part of facial rejuvenation practices.
Source: NewBeauty
Rebecca Stone
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Market editor covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
