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When is the right time for cosmetic surgery? Any age from your late teenage years to your golden years, really.
Throughout my four decades of experience as a cosmetic surgeon, I’ve witnessed all kinds of old and new techniques for making women and men look and feel younger and more attractive, And throughout all those years, one thing has more or less remained the same.
The demographics associated with certain procedures have remained constant. While each individual’s needs and wants differ when it comes to choosing a procedure, the most popular cosmetic surgeries can be broken down by age group. Trends and techniques in cosmetic surgery have varied from year to year, but the consistency of popularity with certain age groups has remained constant.
Teenagers certainly look down their nose at cosmetic surgery … in a good way.
Young adults in their late teens or early 20s typically first start thinking about cosmetic surgery when they look at their noses. The nose they see in the mirror after reaching puberty is basically the nose they’ll live with for the rest of their lives. Teenagers who are approaching adulthood will turn to rhinoplasty to give them a new start or a fresh look as they embark on new social life experiences, such as high school graduation or the start of college, even college graduation (where the daunting realities of the real world await shortly thereafter). These are the times when summer breaks and other holiday breaks allow them to make a subtle change that often goes unnoticed by their peers. Sure, at our practice we do rhinoplasties on patients of all ages, but most patients are young adults facing new life challenges.
Mommy makeovers help the female body stay proportional.
As women move into their mid-to-late 20s and into their 30s, their bodies experience significant shifts in form and balance. Specifically, and most commonly, shifts in weight, lifestyle, and especially pregnancies significantly alter breast size and shape, in an uncomfortable and awkward way.
At this time in their lives women are looking to increase their self-confidence, and establish their place professionally and personally. Breast implants allow many of my patients to proportionately balance their new adult figures. Ultimately, breast enhancement patients report back to me that they look and feel as sexy and confident as they’ve ever felt.
Metabolism breakdown leads to unwanted fat and marked changes in appearance.
As adults reach their mid 30s, aging sets in and the body begins to modify itself almost automatically. Metabolism slows down, and although diet and exercise remains constant, the body refuses to burn up as many calories as it once did. Certain body parts are now storing stubborn fat that is hard to eliminate even if you alter your eating habits or increase your exercise. Throughout the years we have seen many modifications to my favorite procedure, liposuction, which is the best technique to address stubborn areas of fat. Although other new techniques make claims to remove fat non surgically, and some work on small areas, the standard is still liposuction for providing the most predictable consistent results when removing fat and sculpting curves.
Loss in skin laxity, combined with gravity, leads to wrinkles and loose skin.
The aging process really gets going in earnest into the 40s. Skin around the eyes, forehead and cheeks loses its laxity, and gravity starts grabbing at it full force. This is usually where tiny little wrinkles begin to show up and then they start to slowly spread, which leads to a sad, tired, aged look.
Eyelid and brow lift procedures tackle wrinkled, loose skin head on, with immediate results. But not everyone wants surgery, and there are more options than ever to treat wrinkles and loose skin. Injections like Botox, Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Sculptra and more when combined create what we like to call a Liquid Face Lift. Think complete facial rejuvenation without a single incision. Leslie Forrester, our head nurse, has honed her injection skills so well that she is now a certified trainer in these injections. She often trains physicians in advanced injection techniques.
Today’s cosmetic procedures combat aging remarkably well.
Ultimately, the facelift is the most popular procedure for those 50 and older, and I’ve traveled the world seeking the best face lift technique. My travels have led me to Belgium several times, where I’ve learned the nuances of the MACS Face Lift. With the MACS technique, scarring, down time and discomfort are at a minimum.
At this point in the aging process, my patients seek total facial rejuvenation. The cheeks typically need to be plumped up, the marionette lines need attention, jowls need to be lifted, the jawline needs to be tightened and re-contoured, and the neck must be reconstructed to eliminate the loose and droopy appearance which is accompanied by bands on the neck and under the chin(s). A complete facelift, properly executed, will help restore a youthful appearance to the eyelids, neck, cheeks and overall face top to bottom and left to right. This may be done at once with a combination of techniques, including radio frequency and/or ultrasound technologies.
Age is just a number; look young and healthy at any age.
Of course everyone ages differently and each patient’s goals are different, but these tend to be the most popular procedures by age group. Do any of these surprise you? Did you find yourself saying, “Yes, that’s what I need” while you read? If not, what did I not address? Leave a comment below, and I’ll try to address it the best I can. I’m Dr. Leon Forrester Tcheupdjian, M.D., founder and Medical Director of the Liposuction and Cosmetic Surgery Institute. We have four locations to accommodate your needs in Chicago’s Gold Coast, Oak Brook, Arlington Heights and Naperville. We offer myriad procedures to fit and fix your appearance and the way you see yourself, no matter your age or what you see when you look in the mirror. Click here to schedule your free consultation or call us at 847.259.1000.
