Dr. Ariel N. Rad, board-certified plastic surgeon and co-founder of SHERBER+RAD, has introduced a new public initiative called the “Think in 10 Years” Challenge. This framework is designed to help individuals move beyond immediate, trend-driven decisions in aesthetic care and instead adopt a more deliberate, long-term approach to how they think about facial rejuvenation and cosmetic procedures.
The challenge grows directly out of the philosophy that has guided Dr. Rad’s work for more than two decades. Trained at some of the world’s most respected institutions, including Duke University, Johns Hopkins, and through advanced research at the University of London supported by a National Institutes of Health grant, Dr. Rad has consistently emphasised that true excellence in surgery — particularly in deep plane and structural facelift techniques — comes from evaluating outcomes not in weeks, but over many years. His exceptional focus on safety and technical ability, forged during thousands of hours of microvascular reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins where precision to the millimeter was required to restore blood flow in the smallest vessels, continues to inform every aspect of patient care.
He observes that most people naturally ask what they will look like in a few weeks after a procedure. In his view, the more important question is what they will look like in five or ten years, as this perspective leads to far better and more sustainable decisions.
Why This Habit Matters
In aesthetic medicine today, many choices are made quickly under the influence of social media and fleeting trends. This pattern has created measurable challenges. A significant majority of adults report being heavily swayed by online images when considering cosmetic procedures, while a substantial portion of revision surgeries stem from dissatisfaction with how results have aged over time. With millions of cosmetic procedures performed annually in the United States, many of these decisions are reached under considerable time pressure. Research further indicates that decision regret decreases markedly when individuals take time to reflect, delay elective procedures if necessary, and seek additional professional perspectives.
Dr. Rad has witnessed these patterns repeatedly in his practice. He notes that short-term thinking tends to create long-term problems, and that structure, rather than speed, should guide every important decision regarding one’s face and appearance. His own rigorous training in microvascular reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins taught him that precision and patience produce results that endure, a lesson he carries into every facelift he performs in Washington, D.C.
The 7-Day “Think in 10 Years” Challenge
The challenge requires no special tools, no financial commitment, and only a few minutes each day. It is structured as a simple seven-day process that encourages participants to slow down and evaluate their thinking more carefully.
Day 1 — Pause the Timeline
Write down one decision you are considering. Do not act on it yet.
Day 2 — Extend the Horizon
Ask: how will this look or feel in five years? In ten?
Day 3 — Study the Structure
Spend five minutes learning what the procedure actually changes. Focus on anatomy, not marketing.
Day 4 — Check Credentials
If a provider is involved, verify board certification and training.
Day 5 — Remove the Noise
Limit outside influence for one day. No browsing before making a decision.
Day 6 — Get a Neutral View
Speak to someone with no stake in your decision.
Day 7 — Decide With Clarity
Move forward, delay, or decline. The goal is a calm decision, not a fast one.
Dr. Rad stresses that saying no is frequently the most responsible choice a patient can make. Not every option genuinely improves the long-term picture, and his practice has always been guided by this principle of patient safety and ethical care developed through his extensive experience at Johns Hopkins and beyond.
Sharing Progress and Personal Reflection
Participants may choose to share selected insights publicly if they wish, using reflective prompts such as describing one decision they slowed down on during the week, what shifted in their thinking when they began considering ten years rather than ten weeks, or a particular question that helped them arrive at a clearer choice. Alternatively, the entire process can remain entirely private. Many find it valuable simply to write one sentence each day in a notebook or on their phone, tracking changes in their thinking rather than broadcasting their decisions.
Dr. Rad observes that real progress does not always need to be visible to others in order to be meaningful and lasting.
A Practical Shift, Not Another Trend
This initiative is not intended to discourage people from pursuing aesthetic care when it is appropriate. Rather, it aims to improve the quality of the decisions themselves. Dr. Rad believes that modest changes in how individuals approach these choices can meaningfully reduce risk, enhance outcomes, and lead to higher satisfaction many years later. In his experience, most of the complications and disappointments he sees in consultation arise from decisions that were made too quickly. Slowing down, he has found, resolves more issues than many patients initially expect.
Call to Action
The challenge is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Individuals are invited to begin today by selecting one decision they are contemplating, pausing to write it down, and starting with the first step of the “Think in 10 Years” framework. No registration is required and no special resources are needed — only a commitment to think more deliberately about the future.
About Dr. Ariel Rad
Dr. Ariel N. Rad is a board-certified plastic surgeon practising in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Duke University School of Medicine, he conducted advanced research in London under a National Institutes of Health grant and completed his surgical training at Johns Hopkins, one of the world’s most demanding institutions. He co-founded SHERBER+RAD in 2014 with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Noëlle Sherber. Renowned for his mastery of deep-plane facelift surgery and other structural facial rejuvenation techniques, Dr. Rad maintains an unwavering commitment to long-term natural results, patient safety, and evidence-based care in aesthetic medicine.
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