The Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures for Patients over 55

This blog discusses the top procedures for patients over 55 according to the latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons: facelifts, brow lifts, eyelid surgery, and non-surgical skin resurfacing.

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Top Facial Enhancement Procedures

The golden years aren’t the same if you’re worried about looking rusted and worn. According to the ASPS, patients between the ages of 55 and 70 only make up about 13% of the total plastic surgery procedures each year. However, while that number may seem small, they account for 38% of all facial cosmetic procedures.

In this blog, we’ll discuss some of the top facial procedures for the over 55 set, including facelifts, brow lifts, and eyelid surgery, as well as the top nonsurgical procedure, skin resurfacing.

Facelift

Facelifts have long been regarded as the ultimate in facial anti-aging procedures–and rightfully so. A facelift provides the most all-encompassing results for sagging, loose skin throughout the face, offering the most dramatic results for those with moderate concerns.

While each patient’s needs and goals are different, and the procedure itself has multiple techniques and variations that each surgeon will prefer, a facelift generally targets sagging skin throughout the mid-face, usually from the cheeks to the jawline.

One of the greatest contributors to facial aging is a loss of volume–your skin does not just begin to sag on its own one day! When collagen production slows, around age 20, the volume begins to deplete, so the face begins to look more hollow, with less pronounced contours and angles as before. This loss of structure means the skin, which is no longer as elastic, begins to hang off the face, contributing more to the loss of structure but also creating creases and wrinkles where the skin bunches and folds.

A facelift directly deals with the results of facial aging, with a focus on lifting, redraping skin, and removing the excess for a smoother, more contoured result. A facelift can:

• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles
• Restructure the tissues of the face for improved volume
• Reduce the appearance of jowls
• Highlight the contours and planes of the face

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Blepharoplasty is rapidly becoming one of the most popular facial anti-aging procedures, although it is not limited to older patients. This procedure deals with sagging or puffy skin around the eyelids–your surgeon may treat the upper lid, lower lid, or both.

As we age or due to genetics, the ocular muscles can become more lax, resulting in skin laxity and fat displacement. Additionally, “puffy” eyes are usually not a side effect of too little sleep but rather small pockets of fat that have become displaced. Sagging eyelids, too, are a common concern for blepharoplasty patients, as loose skin can hang into the field of vision and contribute to a tired or angry appearance.

Blepharoplasty is truly a remarkable procedure in that the smallest changes have a huge impact on facial appearance. Eyelid surgery can:

• Smooth wrinkles around the eyes
• Lift sagging lids for a more alert appearance
• Reposition or remove fat pockets causing eyebags
• Create a brighter, more youthful appearance

Incisions are hidden within the structures of the eyelids, resulting in no visible scarring. Patients are often shocked at how such a simple change to their eyes can result in such a bright and youthful appearance.

Brow Lift

The last facial enhancement procedure on our list is the brow lift, sometimes called a forehead lift or an eyebrow lift. This procedure is designed to smooth creases in the forehead and lift sagging brows to a more youthful position.

As the face begins to age, the brows can begin to sag toward the eyes, resulting in a perpetual furrowed brow, which not only increases wrinkles but also makes you look angry, confused, or tired–despite how you feel on the inside!

A brow lift improves the appearance of the face in several ways; it allows your surgeon to lift and reshape the brows, improving the structure of the face. Additionally, deep wrinkles and creases throughout the forehead can be smoothed for a dramatic effect beyond what other procedures can offer.

If you’re tired of looking tired, a brow lift may be a great option for your facial enhancement.

Non-Surgical Skin Resurfacing

In addition to the surgical procedures popular with patients over 55, skin resurfacing treatments are also very popular with this age group. Skin resurfacing refers to non-surgical treatments that remove the top layer of skin (epidermis) to improve skin tone and texture, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and sometimes induce collagen production.

These procedures are usually laser or light treatments, although sometimes services like radiofrequency microneedling or microdermabrasion are also categorized as skin resurfacing. Each treatment has a very specific process, candidates, results, and recovery times, but the overarching goal is to improve the skin’s appearance and overall health for long-term aesthetic results.

Skin resurfacing treatments have the following benefits:

• Minimally or non-invasive
• No scarring
• Less downtime or recovery than surgery
• Heals the skin internally and externally
• Improves a host of aesthetic concerns
• Reveals younger, more glowing skin

More plastic surgeons are turning towards the aesthetic benefits of non-surgical procedures for their patients, especially when combined with surgical procedures. For example, a patient undergoing a facelift will certainly see improvement in their sagging skin, jowls, and loss of facial definition, but they will not have improved the condition of their skin. Skin resurfacing does improve skin, taking those facelift results to the next level by healing sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and inducing collagen production.

Furthermore, combining procedures (both surgical and non-surgical) often results in a more cohesive, natural-looking result, especially for older patients.

Want to Learn More About Facial Plastic Surgery for Patients Over 55?

Dr. Robert Spies has nearly four decades of experience treating patients of all ages and is committed to providing equitable care to all. If you are interested in combining facial plastic surgery or want to find out if you are a candidate for a facelift, brow lift, or blepharoplasty, call today at (480)-359-1019 to schedule a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon.