Choosing a Plastic Surgeon
By Richard Chaffoo, MD, FACS
(ghost written by Flo Conner)
David is a man at the peak of his profession --- his vast experience in sales and management has led to prosperity, success and the ownership of his own stock brokerage company. But while David sat in my office looking forward, he was also looking backwards --- at the young competitors close on his heels.
"I'm amazed that clients are sometimes more concerned with the gray on my head than the gray matter between my ears," David said, tapping a finger on his temple. "When I was getting my MBA, no one told me I'd someday be judged on my looks, not my knowledge."
David had some to me to help restore his youthful looks. Like many men in their 50's, he was fit and trim, and he took great pride in his ability to beat me at squash. An yet, the effects of a lifetime of sun and gravity was taking a toll on his image. And his ego.
Betsy, a 62-year old businesswoman, had also come to me to help return the youthful image she had of herself. She first told me she wanted surgery for pragmatic reasons, but during her follow-up appointments, the glow on her face was due to something more than a few surgical procedures.
"I'm a practical person --- I wanted to look younger to help my business --- but this is more than that," Betsy said. "When you get to be my age, people stop noticing you. It's like you become a nonperson. After my surgery, people noticed me again. It's a small thing, but the attention has been an enormous boost to my self-confidence."
Beauty not just Skin Deep
We tend to think the only people allowed to be interested in their image are celebrities, but the stories of David and Betsy prove that no matter what our age or profession, image is important to our self esteem, how we relate to others and our place in the business world.
We've been a society that fears and despises age, but those attitudes are changing, thanks to influential baby boomers who are changing the face of "old age." No longer do we expect the older generation to stand back, making way for the young by wearing warm-ups, playing checkers and complaining that young people just don't understand.
Robert Redford is 60 and still breaking hearts. Tina Turner and Rod Stewart, both in their mid-50s, sell millions of albums each year. And Barbara Walters has taken the art of interviewing to a new height in each of her 34 years in the journalism business. It is a dynamic group of people that is taking us into the next century. And it's no crime that they want to go there looking good.
A Face in the Mirror
There are many reasons why people seek to restore their youthful look. David wants to hold his competitive edge, while Betsy seeks an outward reflection of her inner image.
There are also those who have suffered a recent loss, such as divorce, death or corporate downsizing, who want surgery or an update to reflect the changes in their lives. Although doctors have shied away from performing surgery for strictly emotional reasons in the past, more physicians are discovering that surgery for these patients can be an added boost, not a panacea or a crutch as long as an emotional crisis has passed or been remedied.
"I lost a husband, but I regained my identity," says Penny, the recently divorced mother of two college-age children who recently resumed her career. "I've reinvented myself, and I feel like a totally new person. I want my image to reflect that."
The Aging Process
We begin aging the moment we're born, but its effects don't become apparent until our 30s and 40s. As skin loses both moisture and its underlying support network of collagen and elastin, lines and wrinkles begin to widen and deepen, while thinning skin and hormonal changes dry the skin. Key to early prevention of the signs of aging is staying out of the sun and tanning beds.
As we reach our 50s, wrinkles and sagging become more dramatic. Cell turnover --- the skin's natural renewal process --- decreases by almost half. Skin becomes thinner and retains less water, which makes it more vulnerable to the environment and makeup or other products. Cosmetic surgical procedures, such as forehead, face and eye lifts and liposculpture, help eliminate the signs of aging, as well as topical treatments of Vitamin C and AHAs.
Into our 60s and 70s, the natural lines of aging --- deeper furrows and sagging --- become more apparent. Without corrective measures, wrinkling and sagging continues to drag the face downward as we continue to age. Cosmetic surgery, as well as laser resurfacing, can provide a more youthful, healthy look.
Beauty is as Beauty Does
To some, the yearning to recapture our youthful yesterday is a sign of vanity. But vanity is a positive trait, psychologist agree. Concern about your looks is a mark of self esteem, and most people's concern about reversing the signs of aging have more to do with feeling better about themselves than a centered attitude or the reaction to a mid-life crisis.
And it's not that we want to be younger --- one of my patients once told me "I'm not as young as I used to be, but I look as young as I feel." We merely want to present an outside image that's congruent with our inside attitude.
That's why more than a half million people seek facial plastic surgery each year; the majority of those people are baby boomers --- those in their 50s and older --- looking to turn back the hands of time. And it's not just limited to women --- men now make up nearly one-third of all cosmetic surgery patients, a trend that reflects the growing acceptance of those who want to improve their attractiveness and look younger.
Encouraging those numbers are exciting new developments in facial plastic surgery; lasers, endoscopic procedures, outpatient procedures and topical treatments that can efficiently and effectively restore a youthful image. In addition, a healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition and exercise, can make you not only look better, but feel better as well.
Age is an Attitude
There's no way to escape aging, but getting older doesn't have to mean looking it. How we age is determined by a combination of things, including heredity, diet and lifestyle. But youthfulness is as much an attitude as an age. As Pablo Picasso reflected at 86, "It takes a long time to become young." Thanks to today's medical advances, it won't take quite as long to look young."
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