WATCH: Health First Medical Group’s Dr. George Collis Talks About How Plastic Surgery is Trending ‘Natural’

advancements make it possible for the patient’s appearance to look refreshed – not redone

WATCH: Dr. George Collis, Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center, has noticed a shift in what patients are seeking from a plastic surgeon.

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Mirroring the rest of the nation, more patients are seeking ‘undetectable’ results that simply make them look a little younger.

BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA — Pauline Poe* wasn’t happy with the sagging skin along her jawline. So, the 55-year-old Brevard County woman decided to quietly do something about it – a little “refresher” to make her look more like she was in her forties.

“I didn’t want to look like a different person,” said Poe, who requested her real name not be used. “I just wanted to look a little younger.”

Poe knew she’d found her surgeon with Health First Medical Group’s Dr. George Collis. Two years after having the stealth facelift, she’s thrilled with the results – and that no one knew she underwent the cosmetic procedure.

“Nobody said, ‘Oh my God, what did you do?’ ” Poe said. “I didn’t want it to be this ‘It looks so…different.’ I just wanted to look like I’m in my 40s…When I’m out and I meet people and they ask me how old I am, they’re always like, ‘Wow, you don’t look that.’ ”

Poe’s desire for subtlety reflects a broader trend in cosmetic surgery — one that’s gaining national attention. Just look at the headline of a January 2025 article in Elle magazine: “Is Plastic Surgery Having a Vibe Shift? The latest trend is quiet, demure, and undetectable.”

Health First’s Dr. George Collis said he’s seeing the shift, too, as well as advancements in the field that make it possible for the patient’s appearance to look refreshed – not redone. Dr. Collis is a Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic-trained surgeon, board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

“People do want to have a more natural appearance, especially when we’re talking about facial cosmetic plastic surgery,” Collis said. “They still should look like themselves, but younger, and that’s our goal.”

A Trend Toward Natural

Collis contrasts this shift towards natural appearing plastic surgeries to those of more drastic outcomes seen in the past – the ones with overly dramatic or artificial-looking results. (Check out this 2011 CBS News story that captures the era of drastically, shocking altered celebrity plastic surgery.) Back then, patients wanted to “get their money’s worth” – thus the extreme results, Collis explained.

However, overdone plastic surgery is still spotted in our communities, on social media, and in celebrity culture.

“A lot of plastic surgery that we see from Hollywood and that you see on TV, sometimes it’s not great,” Collis said, “especially in the past. No one likes to have an artificial look.”

Getting more natural results is possible thanks to surgical advancements.

“Two examples are deep plane facelifts and fat grafting, which restore youthful volume and structure without creating tension or distortion in the skin,” Collis said.

Deep plane procedures don’t put as much stress on the skin because the work is done on deeper tissue layers.

“We are tightening the deeper, stronger structure of the face called the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system),” Dr. Collis explained about how the surgery is approached.

“This dissection must be done carefully. Keen knowledge and understanding of facial anatomy are critical, both for optimal results and safety of important facial nerves. The skin is not pulled tight under tension, but rather, it is re-draped in a natural way.”

Fat grafting is another tool to achieve a more youthful look that Dr. Collis performs in conjunction with deep plane facelifts.

“As people age, volume is lost in the face,” Dr. Collis said. “Fat grafting allows me to restore this volume using the patient’s own fat cells from another part of the body, typically the abdomen.”

Fat grafting lasts longer than Juvéderm and can be used for similar purposes in the face.

“Both Botox and Juvéderm are useful non-surgical tools that we have for facial rejuvenation. The key here,” Dr. Collis said, “is not to do too much.”

He mentioned how some people ask for more and more filler, especially in the lips. “It can create an artificial appearance to the point that people don’t look like themselves,” Collis said.

What drives the conversation boils down to what’s bothering the patient and helping them feel better about themselves by addressing these areas with them. This may be a facelift or eyelift, or it may be breast reduction or liposuction with a skin-tightening procedure.

Breast lifts and reductions are other common surgeries Dr. Collis performs, with people seeking to look more natural or to reduce breast size to eliminate discomfort.

“This is a life-changing procedure for many patients,” Collis said.

‘I am in love with my arms’

The perfect example of someone whose life has been positively changed by plastic surgery is Donna Marshall, 56, of Melbourne.

“I’ve spent my entire life, even as a child, overweight, to the point where I was obese,” Marshall explained. “I got to the point where I was at 303 pounds and needed to do something.”

She lost 133 pounds in 11 months, eventually reaching her goal weight and maintaining it.

“I was left with a lot of skin in my abdominal area,” said Marshall. “I was left with a lot of skin, but my abdominal area was really bad.”

Her primary care provider heard these concerns and referred Marshall to Dr. Collis in 2017, who performed her abdominoplasty, removing the excess skin. She was overjoyed with the results, but still irritated with her arms. Especially given that Marshall works as a massage therapist.

“I was working, my arms were flapping, and it was driving me crazy,” Marshall said. “Sometimes, (my arm skin) would slap my body and actually make a slapping sound. When you’re doing a relaxation massage, it’s embarrassing.”

After having the procedure?

“I am in love with my arms,” Marshall said. “I love them. I love the way they turned out. I would never (prior to surgery) wear a sleeveless shirt. Now that my (bigger) arms are gone, I feel very confident.”

In the past several years, people have been visibly stunned when they spot Marshall.

“My hairdresser didn’t even recognize me,” Marshall said. “She said, ‘Donna, you look 20 years younger!’ ”

But it’s about how patients feel, too. Marshall walks between 15,000 to 20,000 steps per day. She hikes on the regular. She has been ziplining and has made plans to go snorkeling.

None of these things were possible in Marshall’s former body, but thanks to the weight loss and excess skin removal, the sky is literally the limit.

“My next big one?” Marshall said. “I’m going to go parachuting.”

‘Man, I would do it again’

Dr. Collis considers himself pretty fortunate. He became a plastic surgeon to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

“I am lucky to be a plastic surgeon and have the opportunity to make someone feel better about themselves and truly make them happy,” Collis said. “While it’s a physical surgery, what we’re performing is really a psychological surgery – having our patients leave our office happy is what makes it great.”

Poe and Marshall are amongst the satisfied – more like thrilled – patients who are glad they followed through.

Poe emphasized that the surgery helped her feel more confident without making her look like someone else. She encourages others considering similar procedures to go for it — if it’s something they truly want — and to find a surgeon who listens and respects their goals.

“If it’s something that somebody’s really thinking about, they should do it,” Poe said. “Because I would do it again. Man, I would do it again.”

She’s happy to share her experiences with others who are now where she once was—debating whether to explore plastic surgery or feeling uncertain.

“Do it. Do it,” Marshall urged prospective patients. “You look in the mirror, you see yourself every day. This has changed my life.”

For more information on both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, visit HF.org/plastic.

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