Although the idea of 'trending' facial treatments and appearances can feel unsettling when talking about something as permanent as your face, it can't be denied that what society sees as a 'popular' look has shifted dramatically in recent years.
From the proliferation of Botox and filler - thanks arguably in equal measures to the popularity of these treatments among celebrities and the rise of unregulated practitioners claiming to offer the same to clients at far cheaper rates, with much higher risks - to new and innovative non-invasive treatments, one wish seems to stand out among clients: a deceptively natural look.
Dr David Jack, a medical doctor and leading aesthetic specialist, says that now, a desire for a more natural appearance is encouraging people to move away from fillers in search of more subtle treatments.
Based out of his esteemed Harley Street clinic, where he has treated a slew of celebrity faces, Jack launched his eponymous skincare line, focusing on skin health. Jack pivoted from medicine to aesthetics, and has brought his awareness of skin health and overall wellbeing with him, as well as a keen eye for detail when it comes to improving his clients' natural appearances.
"We're definitely seeing this trend where people are moving more towards a much more natural look, also thinking much more about how their skin is ageing and the health of their skin", he told RTÉ Lifestyle at his pop up shop at Dublin's The Westbury Hotel.
"There's this whole biohacking movement in America and you're seeing that filter through into skin care and skin health and a lot of what we do now is treat the skin as it's ageing to really optimise its health. The look of healthy skin is something people really want now."
Skin boosters like polynucleotide, also know as the viral 'salmon sperm treatment', Profilo, and low doses of injectable Botox in the surface of the skin are among the less invasive treatments that are trending at the moment.
When it comes to helping his clients move away from filler and restoring their natural appearances, Jack says that education is a key factor. "As part of the consultation process I'll always chat through someone's face with them in the mirror just to help them understand what has maybe changed anatomically and histologically in their skin."
Many of us are still on our skincare journeys and might not have access to the more up-market or groundbreaking products, so where should we start if we didn't always prioritise SPF and plenty of water?
"When people are young and they're doing things that are damaging, they don't realise what longer term effects these things are going to have", Jack says. "Starting [skincare] early is not the worst thing, but obviusly people using very harsh skincare who are young teens and things, probably not the best thing for the barrier of the skin."
Some everyday tweaks can help, such as reducing your exposure to blue light, such as on your phone.
"Blue light does cause oxidative stress on the skin, it does create damage to DNA. So minimising screen time or using blue light filters on screens is something worth doing. Many suncreens now will have blue light filters as well in them, mine does."
Other preventions, such as minimising your exposure to pollution or stress, can be much harder to manage depending on your circumstances, but Jack suggests counteracting any damage with antioxidants in your skincare.
And if you're at your wits' end, exasperated at trying serum after serum and still waking up with irritation, blotchy redness and dry patches, Jack suggests stripping everything back: you might be causing more harm than good.
"On our skin, there's a microbiome which means there's bacteria and viruses and microbes that live on our skin naturally and they're living things, and when you change things up too frequently, the microbiome can be sensitive to that and cause inflammation to happen."
Instead, pick a simple, gentle routine and stick to it for a few weeks without making any drastic changes, unless it's causing very clear and severe irritation.
