Is Your Grandmother Considering Plastic Surgery?

by April Maguire

The plastic surgery industry has seen a lot of changes over the last couple of decades. Not only is modern cosmetic enhancement more affordable than ever before, but with the current trend of naturalistic results, people can go under the knife without their friends, family and coworkers seeing the glaring, telltale signs of plastic surgery. These changes have made cosmetic enhancement accessible to everyone, and people are now getting procedures done in record numbers.

With this ever-expanding patient pool, experts and pop culture watchers have been holding seemingly endless debates about the merits of Millennials in their late teens and early 20s undergoing cosmetic enhancement. But what about the other end of the spectrum? Is plastic surgery popular for the 60-plus crowd, and how safe is it for that age group?

Cosmetic Enhancement for Senior Citizens

Across the board, people in the United States are living longer than ever before. How many times have you heard that 60 is the new 50? And 50 is the new 40? And so on and so on. Therefore, it stands to reason that people want to look fabulous well into old age, and plastic surgeons around the country are reporting a dramatic surge in the number of senior citizens looking to undergo cosmetic enhancement.

In fact, the numbers are somewhat striking. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 140,000 Americans over the age of 65 underwent some type of plastic surgery last year alone. So what kind of procedures are Grandpa and Grandma getting?

Perhaps not surprisingly, most of the plastic surgery market for the older crowd revolves around facial rejuvenation procedures. Some of the most popular surgeries for people 65 and older include facelifts and eyelid reshaping, as these procedures can take years off of a person's appearance. Additionally, people in this age group have been getting more than their fare share of Botox injections and dermal fillers, as these can dramatically reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Is It Safe?

Although it's easy to forget, plastic surgery is still surgery, and invasive procedures are never 100% safe even for the youngest and healthiest among us. That doesn't mean, however, that cosmetic enhancement is particularly dangerous, even among retirees.

You've heard that age is only a number, right? Well, that's certainly true in medicine, where the year that a person was born is far less important than his or her overall physical health. Before performing a cosmetic procedure on any patient, responsible surgeons will perform a variety of tests to help ensure that the patient can come out the other end of the procedure with minimal side effects. So if you have a grandmother in reasonably good health who wants to have a little work done, then there’s no reason that she shouldn’t be able to have her dreams fulfilled.

If you or someone you know is interested in plastic surgery, please feel free to schedule a consultation or contact one of our representatives today!