No Spin Live Episode 70 – Baby Boomers Driving Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery is on the rise, and the generations most curious are interesting. In the United States, there has been a recent uptick in baby boomers seeking aesthetic procedures, many because they are back on the dating scene. And, in China, there has been a serious increase in millennials wanting plastic surgery, a trend that seems to be heading towards the West.

Dr. Jason Pozner of Boca Raton, Dr. Gaurav Bharti of Charlotte, and Dr. Ashley Gordon of Austin discuss how both ends of the patient age spectrum are coalescing around plastic surgery and why this might be happening.

From Baby Boomers to Millennials

According to two articles to hit the news recently, it seems like everyone is seeking out plastic surgery these days. In this country, it is the baby boomers, many of whom find themselves back on the dating scene. And in China, it is the millennials. What gives?

Dr. Bharti is definitely seeing both ends of age spectrum in his practice. He feels that the reason for this is that aesthetic intervention and wellness are really becoming one. He is treating older patients, younger patients, and everyone in between. Some patients view an aesthetic procedure as a way to enhance their health while, for others, it may be about staying viable and competitive in the work place. And then there are those who want to look good on social media or a dating app, and important albeit problematic new feature of modern society.

New Tools = More Options

Thanks to the different tools available to plastic surgeons, there are so many more ways to enhance patients “in a more natural way,” says Dr. Bharti. Many non-surgical procedures can effectively address many of the younger patients’ concerns, such as:

• Botox
• fillers
• radiofrequency devices
• microneedling
• lasers
• fat removal (CoolSculpting)
• muscle toning devices (Emsculpt)

Some people still want a more done, augmented look, but most simply want to look like themselves, only better.

“Baby boomers are just trying to sustain where they were while the younger patients are just trying to supercharge themselves to get where they want to be.” – Dr. Bharti.

Confidence is the Key

For Dr. Gordon, she finds that it really all comes down to confidence. When you look good, you feel better about yourself. And this improved self-confidence translates into all aspects of life, from killing it in the workplace to being successful on the latest dating app. “For me and the patients that I’ve seen, it’s really just about feeling more confident in how they look,” she explains.

Dr. Pozner agrees. As a baby boomer himself, he had his eyes done last year; he he loves the results! He and his wife are heading on vacation next week, and she pointed out that he “better get some Botox before we go on vacation,” he shares. It’s really just become part of most people’s routine for feeling good.

Photos Definitely Play a Part

Part of feeling good is about looking good in pictures, whether you are on a dating app or not. Dr. Gordon loves working with baby boomers because they’ve witnessed the full spectrum of photographs in this country. Anyone born in 1964 grew up with Kodak film. They used to have to go to the corner drugstore to pick up their photo prints, and the only people who saw these photos were the people that you let seem them.

Today, it’s all about selfies, and as we all know, any photograph uploaded to the web is there for good. Looking and feeling your best is wellness.