2025 Annual Report of Plastic and Aesthetic Research
The year 2025 marked a period of steady development for Plastic and Aesthetic Research (PAR; ISSN 2349-6150). Throughout the year, the journal remained firmly committed to its mission of publishing rigorous, peer-reviewed research that advances the fields of plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery. By continuously refining editorial standards, expanding international participation, and promoting academic exchange, PAR has further strengthened its role as a professional international platform serving clinicians, researchers, educators, and trainees in plastic and aesthetic surgery. The journal continues to provide an inclusive venue for the dissemination of research findings, clinical experience, and emerging perspectives across basic and clinical domains.
1. Indexing and Metrics
On November 5, 2025, PAR was officially indexed in the Asian Science Citation Index (ASCI) database. This milestone reflects the journal's sustained efforts to meet recognized standards in academic quality, publishing ethics, and editorial management, and represents an important step in its continued development. As of the end of 2025, PAR was indexed in several major international and regional databases, including Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Dimensions, The Lens, Wanfang Data, and ASCI.
According to the 2024 citation data released by Elsevier on June 3, 2025, PAR achieved a CiteScore of 2.1, increasing from 2.0 in the previous year. This placed the journal in Q2 (top 48%) of journals within the Medicine (Surgery) category. Although modest, this improvement reflects a positive and sustained trajectory in citation performance and academic visibility.
Figure 1. CiteScoreTracker of PAR
In the 2025 edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) released by Clarivate on June 18, 2025, PAR received its first Impact Factor of 0.9, ranking in Q3 within the Surgery category.
Figure 2. Journal Impact Factor 2024 and JCR Ranking of PAR
2. Submissions and Publications
In 2025, PAR received 134 manuscript submissions, involving 588 authors from 29 countries and regions. The three leading submitting countries were the United States (32%), China (28%), and Italy (8%).
Figure 3. Global Distribution of Submissions in 2025
During the same period, PAR published 36 articles authored by 186 contributors from 13 countries and regions. The top three countries by number of published articles were the United States (32%), China (28%), and Italy (8%).
Figure 4. Global Distribution of Published Articles in 2025
The 2025 publication portfolio included a balanced range of article types, comprising 11 Original Articles, 17 Review Articles, 4 Technical Note Articles, 1 Perspective Article, 1 Systematic Review, and 2 Mini Reviews.
Published research featured contributions from internationally recognized institutions and leading medical centers, including:
- Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA, United States)
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester, United States)
- University of California, San Francisco (San Francisco, CA, United States)
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, United States)
- University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (Cleveland, OH, United States)
- Seoul National University Hospital (Seoul, South Korea)
- Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China)
Figure 5. Distribution of Article Types Published in 2025
3. Peer Review and Editorial Efficiency
In 2025, PAR maintained a structured and rigorous editorial workflow, with an overall rejection rate of 77.61%, reflecting the journal's selectivity and commitment to quality.
Table 1. Rejection Rates of PAR in 2025
| Stage / Metric | Rejection Rate |
|---|---|
| Initial Screening (Submission → First Decision) | 63.43% |
| Peer Review Stage (Review → Revision Decision) | 14.18% |
Key editorial efficiency indicators included:
- An average peer-review duration of 2-4 months
- A time from acceptance to publication of within 14 days
In 2025, a total of 168 expert reviewers from 21 countries contributed to the peer-review process, reflecting the journal's continued efforts to maintain an internationally diverse reviewer pool.
Figure 6. Geographical Distribution of Peer Reviewers in 2025
4. Special Issues
In 2025, PAR launched 14 Special Issues addressing both established and emerging topics in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery, including breast reconstruction, wound healing, fat grafting, artificial intelligence in plastic surgery, and facial fillers.
Guest Editors represented a broad international distribution, with the leading countries being the United States (35.71%), Germany (21.43%), Italy (14.29%), and China (14.29%).
Figure 7. Geographical Distribution of Special Issue Guest Editors
Figure 8. Covers of Special Topics Published in 2025
Table 2. Overview of Special Issues Published in 2025
| Special Issue Title | GE Affiliation | GE Country |
|---|---|---|
| OAE 10th Anniversary: A Decade of Innovation in Plastic and Aesthetic Research | Oregon Health & Science University | United States |
| Progress and Perspectives in Breast Augmentation Surgery | Massachusetts General Hospital | United States |
| Fat Graft for Regenerative Medicine | Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine | China |
| Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars: New Insights and Treatments | Nippon Medical School | Japan |
| Precision Fat Grafting: From Technological Innovation to Clinical Strategies | University Hospital Regensburg | Germany |
| A New Frontier in Plastic Surgery - From Robotics to Large Language Models: An Expanding AI Landscape | Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU); University Hospital RWTH Aachen | Germany |
| Updates and Advances in Reconstructive Rhinoplasty | University of Virginia | United States |
| Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering in Wound Healing | Isfahan University of Technology | Iran |
| Breast Reconstruction: Cutting-Edge Techniques and Clinical Practice | University of Utah School of Medicine | United States |
| From Repair to Regeneration: New Perspectives in Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment | West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University | China |
| Congress Special Issue: 12th National Congress of F.I.M.E 2025 and PAR | Chirurgia della Bellezza | Italy |
| Strategies and Innovations in Facial Skin Tightening | Harvard Medical School | United States |
| Beyond Filling: New Horizons of Hyaluronic Acid Facial Fillers | University of Verona; University of Insubria | Italy |
| Advances and Trends in Modern Breast Surgery | Universitätsklinikum Erlangen | Germany |
*Note: Special Issues are not listed in chronological order. Issues without hyperlinks have reached their submission deadlines, and the corresponding submission portals have been closed.
5. Views and Downloads
In 2025, articles published in PAR accumulated 6,540,119 views and 1,011,816 PDF downloads. Reader engagement was particularly strong in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Germany.
Figure 9. Geographical Distribution of Article Views in 2025
Table 3. Top 10 Most-Read Articles in 2025
6. Editorial Board Updates
In 2025, PAR welcomed 24 new Editorial Board Members (11) and Youth Editorial Board Members (13), primarily from the China, United States and Italy. This expansion further enhanced the board's disciplinary breadth and geographical representation.
Figure 10. Newly Appointed Editorial Board Member and Youth Editorial Board Member in 2025
Figure 11. Geographical Distribution of Newly Appointed Editorial Board Member
As of the end of 2025, PAR's Editorial Board comprised 88 members from 16 countries and regions, providing diverse academic perspectives and editorial expertise.
Figure 12. Geographical Distribution of Editorial Board Members in 2025
7. Expert Interviews
In 2025, PAR conducted 12 expert interviews addressing cutting-edge research, clinical practice, and trending topics in plastic and regenerative medicine. These interviews garnered a cumulative 17,696 views, reflecting sustained interest from the academic community.
Figure 13. Expert Interviews in 2025
8. Webinars
In 2025, PAR hosted 12 online academic webinars, collectively attracting over 100,000 views. These events facilitated academic exchange among authors, readers, and research teams, supporting knowledge dissemination and professional interaction within the field.
Figure 14. International Webinar Series in 2025
9. Academic Conferences and Outreach
In 2025, PAR actively engaged in academic activities, including two major conferences:
- The 24th Shanghai International Plastic Surgery Conference & 14 Shanghai Aesthetic Forum (March 15–23, 2025; Shanghai, China)
- The 20th Chinese Medical Association Conference on Medical Cosmetology (December 19–21, 2025; Xi'an, China).
Through exhibition booths and direct engagement, the journal strengthened communication with researchers and clinicians and increased its visibility within the professional community.
Figure 15. PAR Editorial Team at Academic Conferences
In addition, Editorial Board and Youth Editorial Board members actively promoted PAR at academic conferences within their respective specialties, introducing the journal's aim and scope, editorial standards, and recent developments. These in-person outreach efforts enhanced the journal's visibility within the professional community and strengthened engagement with researchers, clinicians, and potential contributors.
Figure 16. Promotion of PAR by Editorial Board Members and Youth Editorial Board Members at Academic Conferences
On October 18, 2025, the PAR Academic Salon and Editorial Board Meeting was held in Shanghai, China. The event was organized by PAR and co-hosted by Shanghai Industrial Investments (Holdings) Company Limited (SIIC) Medical Cosmetology and Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Ten invited experts, including senior Editorial Board Members and Early-Career Editors, delivered thematic presentations covering basic research, clinical applications, and emerging technologies.
During the subsequent Editorial Board meeting, participants engaged in strategic discussions on the journal's development, editorial policies, and future directions. These face-to-face exchanges strengthened strategic alignment, supported informed decision-making, and reinforced the journal's long-term vision in response to emerging trends in the field.
Figure 17. PAR China Regional Editorial Board Meeting
10. Partnerships with Academic Society and Conference
In June 2025, PAR established a strategic partnership with the Italian Federation of Aesthetic Physicians (FIME). Collaborative initiatives included website promotion and logo exchanges to enhance mutual visibility. Building on this momentum, in August 2025, PAR formed a strategic collaboration with the 4th International Conference on Dermatology and Cosmetology (ICDC), aiming to advance joint efforts in academic exchange, journal promotion, and Special Issue development. These partnerships support the journal's international outreach and contribute to the expansion of its academic network, making open access publishing more accessible and efficient for researchers.
Figure 18. Strategic Partnership between PAR and Italian Federation of Aesthetic Physicians (FIME)
Figure 19. Strategic Partnership between PAR and the 4th International Conference on Dermatology and Cosmetology (ICDC)
11. Social Media Communication
In 2025, PAR maintained active engagement across multiple platforms, including X (Plast Aesthet Res), Instagram (parjournal), and WeChat Official Account (PAR Journal). Regular updates on journal news, published articles, Special Issues, and academic events resulted in 1,358 new followers over the year. These efforts enhanced communication with authors, readers, and reviewers and supported the journal's digital dissemination strategy.
Acknowledgments
The Editorial Office of PAR sincerely extends its gratitude to all Editorial Board members, guest editors, authors, reviewers, and editorial staff for their valuable contributions throughout 2025. Their dedication, expertise, and continued support have been fundamental to the journal's steady development. We also appreciate the support of our readers and academic partners, whose engagement has expanded the journal's reach and impact.
Looking ahead, PAR will continue to strengthen editorial quality, expand international collaboration, and support high-quality research in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery.
Editors: Frida Yuan
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Plastic and Aesthetic Research
