Finding the Balance: What’s the Right Age To Have Cosmetic Surgery?

By Hema Sundaram, MA, MD, FAAD

Sundaram Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center

. http://doctorhema.com

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Finding the Balance: What’s the Right Age To Have Cosmetic Surgery?

This question is often asked by both patients and the media. In fact, there is no “right age” to have cosmetic surgery because we all age at different rates. But there is a right time when we’re ready to fix something that bothers us. There is also a right reason when how we look doesn’t reflect how we feel.

Our faces send messages that impact us profoundly, both personally and professionally. For example, permanent frown lines can make us look angry when we’re not, under-eye bags convey tiredness, and a downturned mouth looks sad. It’s the same for our bodies.

Spider veins and sunspots make our faces look old and weather-beaten. These “error messages” are easily corrected by an expert using today’s non-surgical technology.

In recent teachings at plastic surgery and dermatology medical conferences in the U.S. and internationally, doctors were shown how to combine state-of-the-art non-surgical techniques for natural-looking rejuvenation with no scarring and little or no down time. This minimally-invasive approach is increasingly popular and, when properly performed, can give long-lasting results. Research on the science behind these strategies has been published in renowned plastic surgery and dermatology journals.

Ultherapy is a revolutionary new ultrasound technology to non-surgically lift your face and tighten your cheeks, jawline, neck and chest (decolletage). It can also lift and tighten buttocks, knees, arms and other body zones in preparation for summer. eMatrix and eTwo are new lasers that stimulate your skin through a unique process called sublative rejuvenation, producing new collagen to remove wrinkles and scars and tighten your skin with little or no down time.

The Exilis Ultra laser is a new technology that dramatically lifts and tightens the skin on your face and body by creating new collagen and elastic tissue. This naturally lifts your face, including your eyebrows, and contours your body. Exilis can also be used to remove unwanted fat from the chin, abdomen, arms, legs and other areas. In just a few quick and painless sessions, Exilis Ultra takes inches off your waistline, abdomen, buttocks and other areas, and can also improve cellulite. The secret of Exilis Ultra is focused radiofrequency energy combined with ultrasound, which specifically targets unwanted fat as well as tightening skin.

The breakthrough Syneron Triniti laser system simultaneously rejuvenates all three layers of your skin with little or no down time. The Triniti removes spider veins, sunspots, discolorations and wrinkles, improves prominent pores and tightens your skin, all in the same session. The CO2RE laser dramatically improves wrinkles, pigmentation, enlarged pores, scars and stretch marks for all skin tones from light to dark, and with minimal recovery time. The VBeam Perfecta laser treats birthmarks, rosacea, acne scars, leg veins, blood vessels on the face and body, sunspots, and even warts.

With summer approaching, the focus is also on hair removal. The newest and fastest hair laser is the GentleMax. It is completely painless and gives rapid results for all areas of the body and face.

When expertly injected, precise treatment with Botox, Dysport or Xeomin safely smoothes frown and worry lines, crow’s feet, and mouth and neck wrinkles, while preserving your normal facial expressions. Now there is a new wrinkle relaxer – Jeuveau, which will launch in the U.S. this spring. Under-eye bags and lines around your mouth disappear, thinning lips can be restored, and your whole face can be subtly yet dramatically reshaped with new techniques of layered, non-surgical facelifting with natural fillers like Voluma, Volbella, Restylane, Juvederm, Belotero, Radiesse and Sculptra.

A new addition is the so-called “Vampire Facelift”, which combines platelet rich plasma (PRP) with micro needling to harness your body’s own powers of rejuvenation. PRP is also an effective way to treat hair loss.

The philosophy of total rejuvenation and better quality of life at all ages has now extended to nonsurgical feminine (vaginal) rejuvenation with lasers and fillers. Studies show this can have important therapeutic benefits including relief of mild to moderate stress incontinence (urine leakage when coughing, sneezing etc.), vaginal dryness, and restoring more normal appearance and function in conditions such as LS & A (lichen sclerosus et atrophicus). For feminine rejuvenation, the CO2RE Intima laser achieves rapid and long-lasting results and as been described as a more comprehensive treatment than non-lasers that use radiofrequency.

The American Board of Medical Specialties recognizes four specialties as having sufficient training to be performing cosmetic procedures dermatology, plastic surgery, ocuplastic surgery or facial plastic surgery. Your specialist doctor will be most expert if she or he has experience with cutting-edge research in cosmetic surgery, is a recognized educator on these technologies, and has publications on them. Your doctor should be able to offer you a wide variety of new, state-of-the-art procedures from which to choose, and create a customized plan to address your individual needs.

The author Gertrude Stein wrote that “we are always the same age inside.” With the right technology in the right hands, you can reflect your inner youth and vibrancy, and empower yourself to live life to the fullest at any age.