Aging
Cosmetic Surgery to reverse signs of aging
As the life span lengthens in America, most people feel vigorous long after their appearance begins to deteriorate as a result of aging. Yet “how we look” during the inevitable aging process is important to the general welfare of many average men and women. Signs of getting older can affect employment opportunities, social involvement, and emotional well-being. Therefore, many people today consult cosmetic surgeons for help in eliminating the signs of aging either when they first appear or after they are established. When is corrective surgery appropriate for these people? When slackness of facial and neck skin and bagginess of the eyes are no longer temporary conditions that are relieved by rest and easily improved by cosmetics.
It is possible to remain younger looking today by undergoing a continuing series of relatively minor cosmetic “tuck-up” procedures as each facial sign of aging makes its appearance. Patients can be kept looking young and vibrant through the years. When the signs of aging are well established, however, it may be necessary to combine several procedures.
What Aging Does
Changes associated with aging occur slowly and involve several components of the face. The skull actually becomes thinner and smaller, leaving an excess of covering tissue, particularly on the face. This phenomenon of aging, along with simultaneous loss of elastic tissue, results in deeper sags, making the eyes look smaller. “Crow’s-feet” form, pouches emerge along the jawline, and of course, the well-known “double chin” develops. At the same time, the skin itself begins to look tired, as degenerative changes occur in the outer layer. More important, some faces become etched with numerous fine wrinkles in addition to the sagging.
Muscles around the eyes often weaken so that fat herniates through to produce “bags,” frequently associated with aging or dissipation. Part of the facial fat is absorbed, while the remainder begins to hang unevenly and loosely. Finally—and people are seldom aware of this—the tip of the nose drops, causing it to seem larger and longer.
Because each individual presents a different problem or set of problems, recommended corrective procedures vary case by case. For example, one person may require only elevation of sagging eyebrows or improvement in the eyelids, while a very young individual may need only correction of an early double chin. Another patient may require a partial or complete face and neck lift in order to attain desired results. When a patient is suffering the signs of aging and also has weather-beaten skin, laser resurfacing or a light chemical peel may be combined with surgery.
Temporary swelling and discoloration occur to varying degrees following such operations. Though visually disconcerting, these after-effects are not painful, and most people feel they are a small price to pay for the usual physical and psychological improvements.
Scars are either hidden in the hair or placed in natural facial folds and lines so that they eventually become inconspicuous or invisible. They maybe adequately camouflaged with cosmetics and hair styling soon after the operation. The much-feared “keloid” scar is extremely rare on the face and unheard-of on the eyelid.
Although facial surgery turns back the clock, it does not stop the ticking. However, a person never looks as old as he or she might have without the operation.