For many of us the passing of another year also brings the reality of another year older. As more and more New Year’s Eves pass by, some of us wonder if we can stop the hands of time or at least slow them down a bit. Everyone is looking for a way to look less stressed and more rested in the New Year. Like everything else that comes with age, certain changes take place with our bodies during the different decades of our life. Therefore, plastic surgery should plan to target the different needs and concerns of patients in different age groups.
In our twenties, we are more concerned with looking our best rather than the signs of aging. From teens to twenties, plastic surgery is aimed at more aesthetic features such as the size and shape of noses or breasts. I always recommend that teenagers wait until they are at least 18 before considering plastic surgery because it allows for the completion of any possible growth spurts and the maturation of all facial features. The time between high school and college is an excellent time to address concerns such as protruding ears, nasal deformities or weak chins because it is a time in a teenager's life when they will be making a lot of changes as well as finding new friends.
As we hit our late twenties and thirties our faces and bodies may begin to show subtle signs of wear and tear. The key here is prevention and maintenance throughout the next decade. Skin care is essential and we have many tools in our armamentarium to prevent signs of aging and reverse skin damage. Numerous lasers are now available that can remove unwanted hair and smooth, tighten and reverse sun damage of the skin. In addition, Botox and injectable can fill early facial wrinkles and lines and chemical peels can help improve the texture and complexion of facial skin.
As the forties approach, we begin to notice the consequences of our past New Year’s celebrations. At this age, many women consider ”Mommy Makeovers” because they have had children and are ready to get their pre-baby bodies back. Abdominoplasties (tummy tucks), body contouring with liposuction and breast lift/augmentations are very popular for women in this group. In men, liposuction of the “spare tire” or “love handles” is extremely common. In general, if you have taken some measures to prevent the signs of aging and practiced healthy skin care you should be able to prolong the “big” face surgeries for another decade or so. Common facial rejuvenating procedures in this age group include mini-face/neck lifts to battle sagging necks and lower and upper eyelid surgery to remove bags under the eyes and lift hanging upper eyelid skin.
One extremely effective procedure gaining more favor is facial fat grafting. This procedure borrows fat from somewhere else on the body in order to replace the fat that we have lost in our face due to aging. Fat grafting creates a very natural and soft look that makes people simply looked younger, healthier and refreshed.
As we move into the fifties and sixties, age and genetics catch up with us and we need to take a good, long look in the mirror. Botox and fillers will not produce as effective results anymore because the skin has lost some of its elasticity and needs to be removed, lifted or tightened. On the plus side, if the signs of aging have shown up there are many things that can be done to reverse them. As we age our faces turn upside down and we lose fullness in our upper face and gain it in our lower face and necks. To reverse this we simply need to “reshape” the face towards its more youthful appearance. Neck and facelifts can tighten and lift the lower neck and face. These procedures can be combined with facial fat grafting in the upper cheeks to produce a particularly dramatic result. Fat grafting contains stem cells which may actually help rejuvenate the face from the inside out. At any age, most patients simply want to look like a younger, healthier, more rested version of themselves and not somebody completely different. Just remember that "less is sometimes more" and try to search for a surgeon that listens to your concerns and addresses them directly - in a manner that you agree with and are able to understand. Any procedure that you are considering should make sense to you and not seem “not too good to be true”. Just remember that at every age “healthy is beautiful” and the best was to keep the signs of aging as far away as possible is to eat healthy, exercise regularly and ALWAYS wear your sunscreen.
