Looking your best at any age

Senior businesswoman smiling and standing in front of a group of businesspeople. Portrait of a smiling business woman looking at camera. Close up of mature businesswoman with happy colleagues.

Looking your best at any age

Julia was tired of looking tired. At age 72, she came to me to seek out

procedures to make her feel better about herself. She told me she wasn’t

getting the “looks” anymore, and that men would not pay her any

attention, or in her eyes, would think, “hey look at that cute grandma”.

More and more, the ‘mature’ generation are seeking ways to look their

best. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recently came

out with their updated statistics. They found that the number of people

65 and older getting facelifts and cosmetic eyelid surgeries has more

than doubled over the last two decades. Many of these patients are ‘first

timers’ to the plastic surgery realm.

Joan Rivers, the late comedian and staunch supporter of plastic surgery,

once said, “Looking 50 is great- if your 60!”. She perhaps could be

credited for some older individuals considering plastic surgery

treatments. She often made jokes of her obsession, once quoted with, “I

wish I had a twin sister, then I would know what I would look like

without Plastic Surgery”.

After surgery, Julia commented, “ I was so excited about the

improvement in my neck, that I came back for the rest of the face.

People commented about how good I looked, and many didn’t know I

had surgery. The natural look took years off my appearance and allowed

me to feel good about being in public.”

Many individuals like Julia are staying healthy well into their later years

with increased wellness which includes better eating and lifestyle

choices like exercise. They feel young on the inside, but don’t like the

reflection in the mirror.

The fact that the baby boomers started turning 65 years of age five years

ago most likely contributes to the increase in facial plastic surgery.

Another big factor is that rejuvenating procedures do not have to be

surgical. Many patients come to me for non-surgical procedures to get a

refreshed look. Not only are these procedures less costly, they typically

have minimal to no downtime, which I see as important for the active

mature patients that come to my practice. Procedures such as Botox,

Dermal Fillers and skin care management using lasers and non-ablative

collagen stimulating treatments can provide an option to turn the clock

back and help to maintain a youthful appearance. I often recommend to

my patients that we begin the process by skin rejuvenation to stimulate

the collagen to create a more youthful surface on which to work. Often

this is done to reverse the effects of sun damage and smoking, both of

which are the main contributors to aging skin. Whether patients go on

to have surgical procedures is up to them, and since many are just

looking for that refreshed look, they will be content.

My job as a Plastic Surgeon is to listen to their concerns and come up

with a plan to provide the patients with choices to help them achieve

their goals. Because there are many ‘tools’ available now for

rejuvenation, we can offer large steps or baby steps to give one the look

they desire.

“If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, and there are

things that you can do to improve your looks, why not?” Julia said. “I

only wish I had done things sooner to keep up with the aging process.”

A doctor who performs both non-surgical and surgical solutions to anti-

aging can help to choose the best options for you. Consider seeking out

the services of a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and a consultation for

looking your best at any age.

Until Next Time, Be Well Buffalo!