Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Richard Buckley Comments on Recent Washington Post Article About More 65-and-older Americans Turning to Cosmetic-Surgery
The recent article “Seeking ‘to be visible,’ more Americans 65 and older are getting plastic surgery,” which ran recently in the Washington Post caught cosmetic surgeon Dr. Richard Buckley’s attention. “It’s a trend we’re seeing,” says Dr. Buckley, who is medical director at MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center, in Milford, Penn. “Baby boomers are hitting the 65 year mark, and they’re feeling good. They want to look more like they feel.”
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Cosmetic-surgery among baby boomers have more than doubled in the last 20 years. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Richard Buckley comments on popular non-surgical options among babyboomers.
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Facelifts and eyelid lifts have more than doubled in the last 20 years among adults 65 and older, according to the most recent statistics by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). The top five most popular cosmetic-surgeries in this age group: eyelid surgery, facelifts, fat transfer to the face and necklift surgery. Among the nearly 1.17 million nonsurgical procedures ASAPS members reported performing in 2015 on 65 and older patients, the most popular were botulinum toxin injections (including Botox, Dysport and Xeomin), followed by hyaluronic acid fillers, chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing and photo rejuvenation, also known as intense pulsed light, or IPL.
“There are several forces at play, which help to explain why this demographic is embracing surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures,” Dr. Buckley says. “People are living longer and many are aging better. Many people in their 60s continue to work, so they want to stay competitive. Many are in the dating scene—even on social media websites—so they want to look their best. And there is a growing acceptance that cosmetic-surgery is a viable option that can help people feel better about themselves and feel better, overall.”
According to Dr. Buckley, some of the older generations’ biggest cosmetic concerns are loose skin that has lost its vibrant tone and elasticity, as well as sagging or drooping facial features around the eyes and jowls. Fat transfer is an extremely popular option among aging baby boomers, according to Dr. Buckley. The procedure involves taking fat from somewhere it’s not wanted on the body and transferring to areas of lost volume on the face. Losing volume is common as one ages and can make the face appear older, he says.
“The good news for aging baby boomers and older generations is that they can, and do, take advantage of some of today’s less invasive options in cosmetic-surgery,” Dr. Buckley says. “Nearly one in 10 botulinum toxin patients are 65 and older according to ASAPS’s statistics. And that’s with good reason. Neuromodulator injections, with Botox, Dysport or Xeomin, are a great, no-downtime way to relax even the toughest frown lines.”
For patients who don’t want to go through the recovery and downtime associated with a surgical facelift, Dr. Buckley says there is the “liquid facelift,” using fillers, botulinum toxin, lasers and other devices to address cosmetic concerns. “We customize liquid facelifts according to the patient’s specific needs. And nowadays we have an arsenal of skin tightening options, including the Fraxel family of lasers and highly focused ultrasound (HIFU) Ultherapy and Thermage, that help to address the bagginess and loose skin around the face, jowls and on the neck that comes with aging,” Dr. Buckley says. “The nonsurgical options do not offer as dramatic results as the traditional surgical facelift, but a lot of our baby boomer patients don’t want dramatic results. They’d rather appear natural, rested and rejuvenated, and often they’re too busy to take off a few weeks to recover from surgery.”
The Washington Post article summed it up well, according to Dr. Buckley. “One patient in the article makes the comment that if you look in the mirror and see something you’d like to improve, why not? That pretty much says it all,” he says.
About MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center:
The MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center offers state-of-the-art highly specialized procedures in laser and cosmetic-surgery and aesthetic skin care. In addition to its AAAHC accredited surgical center and extensive laser surgery capabilities, MilfordMD offers physician designed skin care products for home use. Milford Pennsylvania’s MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is sought out by patients from around the world for expertise and innovation in cosmetic treatments performed by Richard E. Buckley, M.D. and Marina Buckley, M.D.
MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is located at 303 W. Harford Street, Milford, PA 18337. Tel: (800) 664-1528. For real patient video testimonials, visit our MilfordMD YouTube channel.
