The Most Underrated Plastic Surgeries, According to a Plastic Surgeon

The first things that come to mind when most people think about plastic surgery are boob jobs, Brazilian butt lifts, and the classic facelift. But on Well with Arielle Lorre, celebrity facial specialist Dr. Alexander Z. Rivkin, MD, flipped that script, zeroing in on tweaks that quietly transform a face while flying way under the radar. 

According to Dr. Rivkin, modern beauty wins are all about strategic, subtle moves that “guide the gaze” and create harmony without the high-drama downtime of major surgery. Plus, they just might be the glow-up you’ve been overlooking.

Why underrated plastic surgery procedures matter

Dr. Rivkin gently reminds patients that “it’s hard to see your own face in proportion…you see the trees and not the forest.” Choosing procedures that restore overall balance, rather than chasing every tiny line, keeps results natural, youthful, and budget-friendly.

The five-minute nose tweak that makes people cry happy tears

The non-surgical rhinoplasty isn’t new, but Dr. Rivkin argues it’s wildly underestimated. “I have people in my office cry tears of joy after nonsurgical rhinoplasty every week,” he says. “It’s the coolest thing. It just changes people’s lives.” By injecting small amounts of filler to smooth bumps, lift a drooping tip, or straighten a post-surgical surprise, he can make a nose look smaller in mere minutes.

But it’s important to be safe. “If you’re thinking about nonsurgical rhinoplasty, you have to go to somebody who’s a very experienced injector and a very experienced injector specifically with nonsurgical rhinoplasty,” Dr. Rivkin said. In other words, avoid the Groupon nose jobs. Seek a board-certified pro with a deep portfolio of before-and-afters instead.

Filling the forgotten temples for instant age rewind

Temple hollowing is stealthy—it happens gradually, casting small shadows that can make you look run down. Dr. Rivkin calls temple volumization one of his favorite sleeper hits, saying, “I think the temples are quite important…When there’s hollowing in the temples, I think it’s a giveaway.”

A quick filler boost in the temples restores that coveted heart-shaped face, softens the hairline transition, and can make lateral brows look subtly lifted. 

The forehead convexity trick no one is talking about

“Flat-as-a-board” is great for abs, but it’s terrible for foreheads. With age, women tend to lose the gentle curve that radiates femininity. “For a female identifying person, attractiveness equals femininity, fertility, and youth,” Dr. Rivkin says, adding that “an important aspect of femininity is a forehead that’s convex.”

Restoring a slight outward arc with meticulously placed filler softens a severe or sunken upper face, bouncing light the way a ring light does—no filter required. Pair it with micro-doses of Botox to keep expression lines in check, and you’ve got runway-model radiance minus a scalpel.

Picking the proper professional for subtle plastic surgery

Small area procedures demand surgical-level precision. Dr. Rivkin stresses that aesthetic specialists must “guide our patients into an understanding of what the overall impression is.” Look for credentials—board certification in plastic surgery or dermatology—and ask how many of these exact treatments they perform every week. You can also request side-by-side photos taken in consistent lighting.

Focus on what makes you beautiful

Whether it’s a filler-smoothed bump, refreshed temples, or a baby-curve forehead, understated adjustments can often outshine big operations. Listen to the full conversation on Well with Arielle Lorre for the full list of underrated plastic surgeries.