seniors

We’ve all heard the phrase “age is just a number.” And while it may seem cliched to some, recent years have shown that it is certainly true in the world of cosmetic surgery. According to the recent annual statistical report collected by The Aesthetic Society, cosmetic procedures are on the rise among American seniors. In fact, people aged 65 and up accounted for 10% of all cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the US last year. I thought it might be interesting to dig into these numbers and discuss what accounts for this trend and what specific procedures are most popular among patients in this age group.

The simplest explanation is also the most obvious: everyone wants to look their best and cosmetic surgery can provide safe and proven methods for helping patients of all ages improve their appearance. It’s only natural for prospective patients in this age range to experience more visible signs of aging like loose skin, excess fat, and wrinkling. Additionally, as technology has progressed, surgical techniques and anesthesia (or other sedation methods) have become safer for relatively older patients who may have felt uneasy about undergoing a cosmetic procedure in the past.

Unlike other age groups more focused on body contouring, American seniors seemed most intent on undergoing procedures for the face. According to The Aesthetic Society annual report that I previously referenced, eyelid surgery was the most common cosmetic surgery procedure among patients 65 and up last year. Over 27,000 eyelid surgery procedures were performed on patients in this age bracket. The next most in-demand cosmetic surgery procedures among seniors were facelifts, liposuction, neck lifts, and brow lifts. Non-surgical injectable treatments including Botox® injections and facial fillers were also very popular among these patients.

Patient safety is something that my medical team and I always take very seriously to ensure each patient has the best possible experience with their cosmetic procedure. This has only taken on more importance in the wake of COVID-19. I take considerable time during pre-surgery consultations to ensure that every patient, regardless of their age, is healthy enough physically and mentally to undergo the cosmetic procedure that they are pursuing. In my personal experience, a patient’s health is a far greater indication of their ability to undergo cosmetic surgery than their age.

The most important step for any plastic surgery patient to take is finding an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon to perform their procedure. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Dr. John LeRoy, to schedule a plastic surgery consultation today. You can follow along with us on Facebook and Twitter for additional information about cosmetic procedures, details about our monthly specials, and more.