Aesthetic trends are always changing, and they mostly revolve around the ‘ideal’ female image. Each decade, though, a new feminine ideal is in vogue, shifting like fashion styles. Seeing these beauty and body aesthetic trends over the decades, it can be interesting to track where this curve will lead to next. Here, we take a brief look at female aesthetic trends over the last 50 years and what is considered the desired female silhouette.

The time of the skinny body trend. Girdles fell out of favor and weight loss gained prominence with a record number of amphetamine prescriptions issued throughout the decade. Fashion at the time demanded more of a smaller bust, slim hips, and flat stomachs, giving momentum to the Weight Watchers program, which debuted in 1963.

The penchant to lose weight continued with the introduction of the Atkins diet. Curves came back in style, and polyester and other synthetic fabrics became popular fashion choices, placing an even greater emphasis on weight management.

The fitness craze of the ‘80s made its way into fashion with tight clothing and sports bras at the helm. Following the entrance of supermodels into pop culture, long, lean legs were pursued as the new feminine ideal and trends shifted towards a more slim and athletic appearance with a little more toning to match the slim silhouette of the ‘60s and ‘70s . High hip lines on body suits and bikinis ushered in the Brazilian hair removal treatment.

Drastically contrasting from the decade before, the 90s gave room to two contesting ideals – athletic and glamourous, and the petite, waif-like, androgynous figures with a smaller, thinner frame. The unathletic look paired with fashion trends such as slouchy jeans and fraying sweaters supported this body type.

The new millennium brought back a greater desire to be athletic, with visible abs and airbrushed tans considered as the new sexy. Thus giving rise to the era of personal trainers and spray tan salons. There was a rise in fad diets, all of which promised the ‘ideal shape’, and when this was found to be mostly unrealistic, it raised the demand for plastic surgery and other invasive procedures.

Curves returned with “healthy skinny” as the new phrase to describe an average waist size, lean figure, and strong arms with an emphasis on large buttocks. The growth of social media led to a number of fast-moving aesthetic trends, including exaggerated lip injections and tattooed freckles. We encouraged the aim to break down any single body ideal with a focus on individual beauty, thus giving people space to define their own personal body goals.

As we’re on the cusp of a new decade, it will be interesting to see where body and beauty trends go next. While it’s important to pay attention to industry trends, the underlying factor is simply that they are always changing. Body ideals can help to inform your clinic of what aesthetic treatments may be popular, but shifting your services to match each trend risks the long-term growth of your clinic. While wider aesthetic trends should help to inform the services your clinic offers, investing in new technology for a trend that ends up being a fad is a doomed business strategy. Instead, consider opting for some of the following body aesthetic devices that can help your clinic adapt to the latest trends through customizable treatment plans.

Venus Bliss™ offers a comprehensive solution for the fat reduction category, including two in-demand technologies in one small footprint that offer great treatment options without the need for additional usage fees. First, the four Venus Bliss™ 1064 nm diode laser applicators induce non-invasive lipolysis, leading to reduction of fat in the abdomen and flanks. Each diode laser applicator may be activated individually and adjusted into various configurations along a belt for greater flexibility in creating more customized treatment options for your patients. Second, an (MP) ² applicator, which combines Multi-Polar Radio Frequency (RF) and Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields (PEMF) with advanced VariPulse™ technology, delivers thermal energy deep into adipose tissue to target and reduce cellulite for a smoother appearance. Through these customizable and adaptable features, your clinic can better offer body aesthetic services that complement each patient’s unique body goals and lifestyles, easily adapting to new trends along the way. 

Body hair trends have shifted a lot over the years with prospective patients now taking a very personalized approach to maintaining hair growth in various areas. A multi-treatment body aesthetics platform, Venus Versa™ features an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) applicator for hair removal. The broad-spectrum light pulses are selectively filtered and delivered deep below the epidermis, targeting melanin chromophores in hair follicle shafts. There, it is transferred to therapeutic heat, destroying the hair follicle, leading to a permanent reduction in hair growth. Venus Versa™ IPL applicators also feature SmartPulse™ technology to ensure precise and consistent energy delivery via advanced pulse optimization while a real-time cooling system monitors the light guide temperature for optimal patient safety and comfort.

Although IPL treatments are not ideal for patients with darker skin tones, the system’s features allows for some customizability in treatment delivery that can better align your services with your patient’s needs. The multi-treatment platform can grow with your clinic, shifting with body aesthetics trends with a simple investment in a new applicator.

Interested in learning more about these devices or getting a more customized recommendation for the right body aesthetic device to complement your clinic’s offerings? Contact an expert today using the button below.