Dr. Body (Beverly Hills board-certified breast plastic surgeon Stuart Linder, M.D.) and Dr. Face (Beverly Hills board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Robert Kotler, M.D.) see patients of all ages for cosmetic plastic surgery.
But the requests and concerns for various procedures differ according to the time of life in which patients find themselves. If you are considering cosmetic plastic surgery, take a look below at what others in your age group are doing to refresh and rejuvenate their appearances.
Both surgeons frequently appear on educational television programs and are also book authors. Doctors Face and Body belong to:
- The American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery.
- American Board of Plastic Surgery
- The American Medical Association
Dr. Face: Teenagers are an interesting group, don’t you think, doctor?
I recently rejuvenated the broken noses of two 14-year-olds and they had the maturity level of 25-year-olds.
Dr. Body: Absolutely! One of the driving forces with teens is to mesh well with their peer groups. So if a teen girl under 18 comes to me with very small breasts, or conversely, with very huge breasts (medically known as gigantomastia), I will be more likely to go ahead with breast augmentation or breast reduction if her present state is causing her misery or embarrassment. Same for a too-small breast condition known as tubular breasts and breast asymmetry. I’m a bit more strict about liposuction because a person that young — given workouts and a reasonable diet — can easily lose weight. It’s usually just a matter of giving up the couch, some TV and video games and getting moving.
Dr. Face: It’s the same thing with facial procedures for teens and for young children. Many parents are surprised to learn that when children have very large, “stand out” ears, medical science advises ear pinning, or otoplasty, at age five, before the child starts school. Otherwise, the teasing and name-calling can completely turn the child off to school and to learning.
Dr. Body: The important thing to people in their twenties is making a great impression as they enter the adult social and working world. As women go from teens to young adulthood, you see many requesting larger breast sizes with greater projection, or how far in front the breasts go. Mating and dating are uppermost in that group’s mind.
Dr. Face: I read an interesting joint survey from the ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) and ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) about the changes in what’s considered beautiful and desirable according to various age groups.
Dr. Body: What did they find?
Dr. Face: In the 30s, people are hitting their full stride but may notice some age-related changes. In the 20s, 30s and 40s virtually all people find a fit, well proportioned body attractive. In the 50s, more people are concerned with youthful, unmarred skin.
Dr. Body: I recall seeing that article and have noticed the same thing among patients who come in, asking about various body procedures. People in their 30s who answered the quiz selected their hips and waists as the main concern. That would mean a lot of tummy tucks and hip liposuctions.
Dr. Face: Yet, men and women in their twenties, forties, fifties and sixties, list the face as their main concern. That would translate into skin care in the 20s, treating acne and acne scars. Dermabrasion, microdermabrasion or chemical peels are usually just the tickets for that. Facial fillers start becoming common in the 30s along with some face lifts, starting in the 40s with even more facial and neck rejuvenation in the 50s and 60s.
Dr. Body: As women get into their 40s, I see more requests for breast explant procedures or exchanging a large breast implant size for a smaller one. Those women are usually married with their dating days behind them so a large breast size has become a pain. Also starting with 40-year-old women, I see a lot of requests for breast lifts because they are experiencing some normal, age-related sagging. In the 60s, about 25 percent of patients are concerned about their abdomen and hips and only seven percent are concerned about the breasts.
Dr. Face: Do any other parts of the body bother women in their 40s?
Dr. Body: Their families are usually complete by then so tummy tuck requests become common.
Dr. Face: Middle age, the mid-30s through the 50s are a time when many more people start asking for correction of double chins, sagging upper and lower eyelids and wrinkling.
Dr. Body: The motivation I hear across all age groups for having cosmetic plastic surgery is boosting self-confidence. In the 20s, the main reason is to attract a mate. But in the 30s and 40s, especially among men, the reason for rejuvenation surgery is increasing professional opportunities and looking energetic in the workplace. But by the 60s, the job was the second most common reason while making new friends had become first.
Dr. Face: Check out the beauty for life website at http://www.BeautyforLife.com and learn more about what your age group is doing to look better!
Dr. Linder often repairs other surgeons’ bungled breast surgery. Look at some of Dr. Linder’s reconstructed breast augmentation before and after pictures.
Dr. Kotler also repairs facial plastic surgery that has not been done well elsewhere. Here are some of Dr. Kotler’s reconstructed nose job before and after pictures.
