More Seniors Asking for Plastic Surgery

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Figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that 85,000 surgical procedures were performed on patients aged 65 years and older in 2010, a clear indication that more seniors these days are asking for “medical enhancement” in order to appear more youthful.

But with more seniors seeking plastic surgery, some people wonder if there should be an age limit to this elective procedure.

Leading Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili believes that age is not the deciding factor when screening cosmetic surgery patients.

“The question is not how old a patient is, but how healthy her body is.  Of course, cosmetic plastic surgeons also consider a person’s mental health and viability of her goals and expectations with a certain procedure,” Smaili said.

One notable story of a senior who sought plastic surgery is a California woman who had breast augmentation at the age of 83.

Last year, Marie Kolstad had a three-hour breast augmentation with breast lift.  The procedure cost her $8,000 which she called a good investment.

But when asked why she had cosmetic plastic surgery, the full-time property manager said she wanted her children to be happy with her appearance rather than to attract suitors.

Of course, facelift, eyelid lift, and other facial rejuvenation procedures are more common than breast surgery for seniors.  This is not surprising as the western culture put too much emphasis on youthful beauty.

But for those who are not qualified or do not want to undergo a more involved surgical procedure, they can opt for non-invasive treatments such as Botox which can relax the muscle to prevent wrinkles, dermal fillers to correct the gaunt appearance, and laser skin resurfacing to address the photo-aging caused by the sun’s UV rays.

Smaili believes the growing popularity of plastic surgery among seniors can be attributed to many factors including the changing attitude toward the procedure, more workers postponing their retirement, and people living longer and healthier.

In addition, the leading surgeon said the advances in plastic surgery and non-invasive skin treatments have also contributed to the growing popularity of cosmetic enhancements among seniors.

“In terms of technologies and techniques, we have come a long way.  In fact, some experts even suggest that sooner or later, stem cells that are collected from fatty tissues will replace facelift.  By simply injecting these cells, the skin becomes plump and the sun-damaged tissue can repair itself,” Smaili said.

Cosmetic Surgery Blogger @ February 10, 2012