Christina Aguilera has a new photoshoot that's making fans buzz − and it may be an important reminder about the era of beauty we find ourselves in.
The 44-year-old pop star recently posed for Carcy Magazine, and her photos have sparked comments from people wondering how the singer, who's been open about cosmetic treatments in the past, continues to look like she did in the beginning of her career.
"She is still in her 20s," one X user wrote. "I need to know who's her doctor pls," wrote another. Another user appeared to coin a new term for Aguilera and other celebrities who seem to be aging either backwards or not at all: "Benjamin Buttoning"
Aguilera isn't the only celebrity to receive compliments, and speculation, regarding her youthful appearance. Lindsay Lohan, 38, prompted posts and comments about how youthful she continues to look, following the release of her Netflix Christmas rom-com 'Our Little Secret' late last year.
If you've stopped and wondered if there seems to be more celebrities who don't look like they've aged − but who also don't bear any obvious signs of filler or other cosmetic procedures − you're not alone.
"What people are doing to their face in the next year is going to blow you away, because we are entering the undetectable era," Dr. Prem Tripathi, a facial plastic surgeon, says in a video from August that garnered a staggering 6.2 million views. He goes on to define this era as "the time in aesthetics that we've all hoped for and waited for, where the procedures that people are having done to their face are not detectable."
So are we really in a brave, new, "undetectable" world? Well, not exactly. Dermatologists say we've actually been here for a while already - the only difference is now normal people, who otherwise aren't privy to the world of celebrity plastic surgery, are starting to catch on to it.
"It's not just undetectable; it's understated," Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and surgeon who hosts the podcast 'Give Good Face: Clean Clinical Science', previously told USA TODAY. "It's very minimalistic, but with improvements, and so it's not this over-the-top, in-your-face, big cheeks, frozen face. It's really more subtle. It's really nice and refined. I love it. I think New York has been like that for a while and now other areas are catching up with it."
Dermatologists say they hope the "undetectable era" brings a much-needed shift in how people view plastic surgery.
When it comes those seeking cosmetic treatments, people tend to fall into one of two camps: Those who want as natural a look as possible, as if they didn't have any work done at all, and those who want drastic, noticeable changes.
Those in the latter category tend to pursue plastic surgery for the wrong reasons. Sometimes body dysmorphia or other mental health issues are at play. Sometimes it's because they see plastic surgery as a status symbol. For those people, looking like they had pricey work done is often the point.
Dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy previously told USA TODAY she hopes the undetectable era inspires people to take a more natural, subtle approach, not just to treatments, but to their beauty regimens overall.
"There has been a time where people almost wanted a certain look," she said. "It was kind of almost a symbol, like a status symbol, if you kind of looked a certain way that people knew that you could afford to have these things. But I do think that now people want a much more natural look."
She wants people to know, however, that undetectable beauty isn't achieved just by going under the knife. It also involves living a healthy lifestyle.
"We're also seeing more of a focus along with it in realizing that you can't just do things to your face," Jeffy said. "It is more about taking care of your whole body. It matters what sort of fuel you're putting in. It matters if you're drinking alcohol, if you're smoking. So I think that it means a step more in the right direction for how we should be taking care of our bodies overall."
One huge issue is transparency. Mental health experts agree celebrities do their fans a huge service when they're honest about what work they've had done; It helps fans maintain healthy, realistic beauty standards.
The undetectable era, however, may bring less transparency − which means it's more crucial than ever people not compare themselves to celebrities.
It's also an important reminder that, when it comes to celebrities' looks, there's often more going on we don't know about.
"It may establish an unattainable ideal, and I think that the more we get comfortable with who we are, the less that becomes an issue," psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis previously told USA TODAY. "We tend to not compare ourselves with others when we are feeling OK about ourselves."
According to Rossi, no plastic surgery − undetectable or not − can boost your self-worth. That comes from you.
"I really try to tell people, you need to love yourself," he said. "Cosmetic work is amazing. It's great. I love it. ... I do it for patients, but it's never going to fully satisfy your self-image issue. That comes from within."