Johnny Franco, MD, FACS, discusses how implant removals, biologic innovation, and patient demand for long-term tissue health are accelerating a regenerative shift in body aesthetics.
High-profile implant removals, growing patient interest in body autonomy, and rapid advances in biologic technologies are converging to reshape how plastic surgeons think about body aesthetics. Rather than defaulting to replacement or purely volumetric solutions, many clinicians are increasingly focused on regenerative strategies designed to improve tissue quality, durability, and long-term outcomes.
In an interview with Plastic Surgery Practice, Johnny Franco, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing at Austin Plastic Surgeon in Texas, shares his perspective on what the “breast renaissance” signals for body aesthetics, which regenerative modalities are gaining clinical momentum, and how regenerative principles may redefine treatment planning and training in the years ahead.
Plastic Surgery Practice: From a surgeon’s perspective, what did the spike in implant removals in 2025 signal about where body aesthetics is heading clinically?
Johnny Franco, MD, FACS: A renaissance. When celebrities began publicly removing their breast implants in 2025, the conversation wasn’t just about aesthetics, it was about health, autonomy, and authenticity. That moment is now reshaping the aesthetics industry itself, pushing it away from artificial fillers and toward treatments rooted in the body’s natural biology.
We are in the middle of the breast renaissance; it goes beyond just removing implants. The concepts of breast preservation have resonated with patients more than anyone could have imagined. We will continue to see this changing paradigm of breast enhancement with less invasive techniques and more biologic options.
With some of the new biologic options, such as alloClae (Tiger Aesthetics), we will continue to see this movement to an injectable breast augmentation–an office procedure done through a 1mm incision done under local anesthesia in under an hour with no downtime.
PSP: Regenerative body treatments are often discussed conceptually—what defines a truly biology-driven approach versus a cosmetic workaround?
Franco: Regenerative restoration is going to be one of the hottest topics of 2026. Truly regenerative treatments restore and improve the body, whereas cosmetic treatments improve the appearance of the current skin and tissue a person has. With the range of regenerative options, we will be able to create an entirely new opportunity for patients and providers to improve outcomes. With cosmetic procedures we have been limited by the skin and body that we currently have while with regenerative options we will truly be able to change the skin and underlying tissues in a way we have never been able to previously.
PSP: How has the increased emphasis on patient autonomy and long-term tissue health changed your consultation strategy for body procedures?
Franco: It has opened options for patients that they have never had before. It has increased the possible treatments for patients. We also can have conversations about not only looking better but also living better from a health standpoint.
The wellness wave with GLP medication has opened the eyes of patients and providers about true total body transformations in a way that has never been so accessible to this number of patients. It has created huge opportunities but also challenges, as we are no longer looking at short-term fixes but are now creating treatment plans for patients that will span decades.
PSP: Which regenerative body modalities do you believe are supported by the strongest clinical data as we move into 2026?
Franco: GLP medications are no longer a fad. At this point, most people are believers. They have really reinvigorated the regenerative revolution. The evidence is in how they work; the benefits only continue to grow beyond weight loss. The results from clinical trials have been astonishing
From a product standpoint, alloClae’s longevity/retention study that will be released this year will stand out showing retention in these patients. It will answer some of the biggest questions we have about these products, which are longevity and retention.
There are several other studies that Tiger Aesthetics are launching around alloClae treatments that I think will be extremely impactful in 2026.
PSP: As demand shifts away from implants and temporary fillers, how are you counseling patients on durability, timelines, and outcome tradeoffs?
Franco: Patient education is key as we are at the tipping point of this paradigm shift from traditional implants and filler. It is important to manage expectations and guide patients on the best option for their aesthetic goals. Patients, like physicians, are extremely excited about the possibilities and all of the new products coming in 2026.
Some of the new biologic options will change the world of aesthetics; in the next five years the face of aesthetics will be completely different. I think we are much closer than most people realize to seeing this massive paradigm shift.
PSP: Looking ahead, how do you see regenerative principles influencing the future of body contouring and reconstructive training within plastic surgery?
Franco: As plastic surgeons, we want to stand behind treatments that we know will make a meaningful, measurable difference for our patients—not just something that sounds exciting on social media. Our patients are going through major life transitions—especially those on GLP-1s and weight loss journeys—moving toward this “fit and fabulous” lifestyle where they not only want to live longer, but live better. That means we have a responsibility to make sure that the peptides, hormones, GLP medications, hyperbaric treatments, and regenerative therapies we offer truly deliver lasting benefits.
We’re now treating patients at a much younger age, and their expectations are very different. If someone starts their aesthetic and wellness journey in their 20s or 30s with issues we used to see in patients in their 40s to 60s, we’ve essentially doubled the treatment lifespan we’re guiding them through. We have to think about all the life changes they’ll experience over the next several decades—possibly 80+ years if longevity treatments perform the way we hope they will. That’s why this moment in plastic surgery is both incredibly exciting and challenging. We’re helping shape long-term aesthetic and wellness roadmaps, not just quick fixes. New treatments like alloClae, DermaClae, advanced biostimulants, and the regenerative products coming to market in 2026 will be a big part of this evolution. They offer the potential for long-lasting results, minimal complications, fewer side effects, and treatments that can be built upon over time as we age gracefully alongside our patients.
In 2025, we really started to see the tip of the iceberg with some of the new fat-derived products. alloClae came storming onto the market and is probably one of the hottest new injectable products out there. In 2026, you’ll see DermaClae launch, another fat-based product designed specifically for the face. We’ve also seen Lipoderma, another fat product, start to enter the market, and that’s going to continue to grow along with real clinical studies, especially as more of these products are backed and funded by larger companies such as Tiger Aesthetics.
You’re also seeing this wellness wave from patients—people are actively looking for more regenerative, more natural options. Now that we’re pairing that demand with real science and longitudinal studies to back these products, I think this space is going to absolutely explode. I truly believe 2026 will be the year of the regenerative revolution. PSP
Photo: ID 27267637 © Piotr Marcinski | Dreamstime.com
