Skin Care and Cosmetic Surgery in Your 60s

For many people, the golden years start at age 65. This was when most people retire from work and begin receiving their Social Security benefits. While people in their 60s today are still eligible for Social Security, they are not necessarily retiring. They are often either continuing to work for their employer or starting entirely new careers. Either way, the message is clear - people in their 60s are still active, vital members of society.

This vitality can be seen in the fact that people in their 60s are looking at cosmetic surgery as a way to appear as energetic and youthful on the outside as they feel inside. Data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (the leading professional organization for cosmetic surgeons) is proof of this trend. In 2014, patients in their 60s made up part of the nearly 4 million cosmetic procedures performed by ASPS member surgeons on patients who were 55 and older. This translates into approximately one-fourth of all surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed in 2014.

Five Most Popular Cosmetic Procedures

Perhaps the most notable trend for cosmetic procedures on patients in their 60s is that the five most popular procedures are all non-surgical and focus on facial appearance.

Botox injections (more than 1.5 million procedures): This procedure, which is also popular among patients in their 40s and 50s, reduces the appearance of large, deep frown lines around the forehead and between the eyes. It does this by relaxing the facial muscles that control the frowning motion. Injections can last anywhere from four to six months, although the frown lines may lessen over time as the facial muscles learn to relax.

Dermal fillers (more than 830,000 procedures): Dermal filler injections address the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, such as crow’s feet around the outer corner of the eyes, marionette lines that lead from the outer corners of the mouth down to the chin, and smoker’s lines around the mouth itself. They replace the collagen (which fills out the skin over the skeletal frame) that is naturally lost as the body ages. Dermal fillers typically last anywhere from six to 12 months.

Chemical peel (more than 540,000 procedures): Chemical peels use a weak form of acid to remove the top-most layer of facial skin to reveal newer skin underneath. This procedure corrects for age spots, as well as skin that has been damaged from excess sun exposure.

Laser skin resurfacing (more than 219,000 procedures): This procedure is similar to chemical peels in that it corrects for blemishes and spots on the outermost layer of skin. However, a low level laser is used, instead of a chemical process. This procedure can also correct irregularities in the skin’s surface, such as scars or pits.

Microdermabrasion (more than 213,000 procedures): Dermabrasion procedures, similar to laser resurfacing, correct for irregularities in the surface of facial skin due to scarring or pitting. However, this procedure uses a brush with fine bristles to remove the top layer of skin, revealing a smoother surface underneath.

Many seniors are not willing to slow down as they age. Instead, they are still living life to the fullest. Their interest in facial rejuvenation procedures is testimony to their vitality and spirit.