The decision to have plastic surgery is not limited to a certain age group. From teenagers to older people, the desire to improve one’s appearance is a popular idea. The ability to transform one’s look is a powerful incentive to go under the knife. While there are a wide variety of cosmetic procedures available these days, there are certain cosmetic procedures that seem to remain consistently popular with certain age groups.
According to a 2012 statistics report (1) released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:
1. Nose reshaping - A popular choice in the 13-19-year-old age range. As the nose is one of the few body parts that doesn’t naturally change as people age, the chance to get a new look for the nose thanks to Rhinoplasty made this procedure a popular one.
2. Breast augmentation – The popularity of this procedure kicked in when patients hit the 20-29-year-old range. In other words, the post puberty age range. Since the breasts are fully formed by that age, many women elected to alter their breast size.
3. Liposuction – The 30s and 40s are when people see their metabolism begin to slow down. Fat is harder to get rid of with a slower metabolism so liposuction is a popular alternative to take care of this problem.
4. Eyelid/Eyebrow Lifting Surgery – Once people enter their 40s and 50s, wrinkles and sagging features greet them on a daily basis. Skin lifting and tightening procedures are a way for adults to combat the visible signs of aging.
5. Facelift – A very popular procedure for the 55 and up crowd. From the cheeks to the jawline to the neck (and everything in between), age causes sagging, volume loss, jowls and wrinkles to be particularly visible. A facelift can help restore the once youthful appearance of the face.
As evidenced by the numbers above, the demand for cosmetic surgery seems to have no age limit. On the upper end of the age spectrum, people 60 years of age and older seem to be choosing plastic surgery in an attempt to change their looks. In fact, the number of older men deciding to have a procedure is on the rise. According to research from the not for profit health organization, Nuffield Health, four out of five Nuffield Health surgeons across the UK “have noticed a rise in men seeking cosmetic surgery in the form of nose jobs, eyelid lifts and ‘man boob’ removal. Almost all surgeons (95 per cent) reported a rise in the number of previously overweight or obese patients looking for surgery following dramatic weight loss.” (2) The surgeons reported the men want to be healthy and fit as they move into their 60s, 70s and 80s. They also reported the majority of the older male patients wanted face-rejuvenation procedures. Some of the main reasons the older patients elected to have cosmetic procedures included wanting to look younger in their job search, societal changes and improvements in techniques.
On the other end of the age spectrum, many surgeons are worried about teens wanting to have plastic surgery procedures. They are worried that one of the main motivations for teens is a search for self-esteem. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, parental consent is necessary for plastic surgery procedures that are performed on teens younger than 18.
Why do teens 18 and under need permission from their parents? According to Michigan plastic surgeon Tony Youn, “Many teens don’t have the maturity to understand the potential risks and ramifications of these medical treatments. There are major complications that can occur with something as seemingly simple and innocuous as ‘temporary lip fillers.’ People have lost parts of their lips and even portions of their nose when these fillers have been improperly injected. There are even rare reports of blindness after injections of filler into the face. I question whether all teens can understand that these types of things could happen to them.” (3)
According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there were more than 100,000 people, age 18 and under, who had a cosmetic surgery procedure in 2014. In fact, teens were 2% of the grand total of 15.6-million cosmetic procedures in 2014 according to the annual report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
There are many doctors who rely on the parents of the teen to help determine whether or not they are a suitable plastic surgery candidate. If the teen and the parents both agree on what is involved in the procedure and what the likely outcome is, doctors are more likely to consider taking on the teen as a patient. If the teen and the parents are arguing about the procedure, or the teen doesn’t seem to have the maturity level to grasp the outcome, surgeons are not as likely to perform a cosmetic procedure.
The need to change one’s look is a powerful driving force in the lives of both teens and adults. As the acceptance of plastic surgery continues to grow all over the world, the number of people wanting a cosmetic surgery procedure will also continue to grow. It’s up to both doctors and their potential patients to make sure the procedures are being done for the right reasons.
References:
(2) https://www.spaopportunities.com/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=313989
(3) https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/should-parents-let-teens-get-plastic-surgery-like-118380759257.html
- MA
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