The current estimated value of the beauty industry is about US$20 billion. As one of the major sub-domains, the global cosmetic surgery market is experiencing healthy growth and expansion, with a CAGR of over 7 percent from 2019 to 2023. Although aesthetic surgery is already common and the industry relatively mature, many prospective patients remain unsure about how the life-changing decision will actually alter their appearance.

Cosmetic surgery companies are turning to big data, facial recognition, neural networks, adversarial learning and deep learning technologies that can assess the human face and generate outcomes for a specific procedures to guide patients to their best surgical options.

Face++ Micro-plastic surgery SDK (Software development kit)

This entry-level beauty camera can predict a particular surgical beauty enhancement effect in advance using preset templates. The Face++ Micro-plastic Surgery SDK studies facial aesthetic characteristic parameters, and uses facial recognition to shape users’ faces automatically. Users can adjust their appearance using effects such as face-lifts, eye enlarging, mouth reshaping, chin landscaping, etc.

Xianxun 3D Scanning and simulation APP

Xianxun 3D application software has brought to-customer mobile apps to the next level with a depth-sensing camera that uses facial recognition and 3D modeling techniques. Users can scan and create 3D models with their smartphones. Through the “diagnostics” and “simulation” functions, the app can provide facial analysis and intelligent shaping suggestions, as well as predicting the results of various cosmetic surgery procedures.

Xichan Plastic surgery design robot

The plastic surgery design robot at the Xichan Plastic & Beauty Hospital in China’s Sichuan province can provide professional cosmetic design suggestions and an overall improvement plan in just a few minutes. The combination of robots and intelligent high-end custom design enables detailed demonstrations of surgical processes and procedures to assist the hospital’s surgeons in planning procedures while also satisfying customers’ curiosity.

What’s Next?

Although the development and deployment of AI in cosmetic surgery is accelerating and has tremendous potential, even advanced technologies still cannot fully replace humans. As in the healthcare industry, AI is only playing a supporting role, and as such the cost of cosmetic surgery will likely not be significantly reduced in the short term. Also, many associated AI technologies remain somewhat unstable, which restricts their application in sensitive areas like cosmetic surgery. Finally, data security is currently a big issue. AI algorithms require tons of data, which involves potential threats to personal privacy and even human rights. These issues and others must be addressed before AI takes its next leap in the cosmetic surgery industry.