It’s true: an important part of feeling young is looking the part, and most still want to feel fabulous at and after 50. We all want to connect with a sense of vitality, and that can have an impact on our ability to function. Feeling young makes you want to get up and dance or at least try to hop out of the chair. Often as women approach and pass the age of 50, there’s a wrinkle in the plan.
Women may not look as young as they feel. What are the options when the mirror doesn’t reflect what your heart and head are screaming! There’s good news and plenty that can be done to make life after 50 look and feel fabulous.
The Secret Weapon
Flip through the pages of any fashion magazine and you’ll see the faces of mature starlets looking gorgeous, but realize that many of them have help in achieving those youthful looks. Plastic surgery is a staple in Hollywood. It’s used to turn back the clock, or at least keep the hands of time at bay.
And it’s catching on in the population at large. Statistics show that about 25 percent of all cosmetic procedures are performed on patients that are above the age of 50, and many of them are women. It’s a trend that Dr. Steven Camp is seeing unfold. “In my practice, with women 50 years of age, I see a lot of treatment to the forehead and brows and around the eyelids with injectable treatments.”
Camp, a board certified plastic surgeon in Fort Worth, Texas says mature women seeking facial rejuvenation often don’t want to be bogged down with long recovery times, so they opt for quick turn-around procedures like fillers and Botox. “It keeps people feeling fresh and healthy about their overall appearance and it’s not associated with some of the risks associated with surgery.” Camp says he continues to see a huge uptick in non-surgical treatments.
The Eyes Have It
Women approach aging in different ways. Some want to embrace aging and every wrinkle as perhaps a rite of passage to the golden years. Others feel the desire to tinker with the aging process. Whichever camp you are in – it’s fine. If you land on a decision to tweak the process, experts say one area to consider is the eyes. “When you meet someone for the first time, you look them in the eye,” says Dr. Shaun Parson.
Dr. Parson, a plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona says the eyes are the first thing anyone sees. He says eyelid surgery to improve the appearance of the eyelids can be performed on the upper or lower lids or both – and will have a dramatic impact. “If there is anything you can do over 50, the first and most impactful thing is the eyes. It’s so easy and it only takes 4-5 days to recover.”
Brave, New 50
Research shows that feeling younger than you look can have a positive influence on many parts of life: confidence can shoot up and so can cognitive abilities. With a growing selection of non-surgical procedures, it’s never been more attractive to get a little bit done and see what you think.
Whatever choice you make about how you want to age, remember you have options to look and feel your best.