We are an aging society, with more people over the age of 50 in work than ever before.
There is a fierce cross-generational competition for the same job pool and a tremendous pressure to look active, youthful, energetic and attractive.
We also live longer with life expectancy having gone up by 30% since WWI.
Attitudes have changed too and post-menopausal women no longer feel that they are past their sell-by date. Both men and women act and dress younger and are determined to stay and look young well into old age.
When the first signs of age start appearing, most of us want to address them in such a way that we still look as natural as possible. Surgery is not a preventive option and going under the knife too early in life is not advisable for a number of reasons.
No responsible surgeon would recommend surgery if Botox would suffice, for example.
Additionally, down time has to be taken into consideration and above all, scars, which change as our faces age. Lastly, surgery is an important investment that does not always deliver the returns that we expect.
Improving the quality of the skin is an all-important component of any anti-aging program. It can and should be undertaken either as a stand-alone set of non-invasive procedures or as a complementary part and parcel of an invasive surgical procedure.
Non-invasive procedures are frequently used post-op in order to address issues that surgery alone cannot correct.
Non-invasive procedures are an important maintenance program that would extend the lifetime of a facelift – because not even the most brilliant facelift can last 20 years.
Botox, fillers, lasers, hormone replacement and other non-invasive therapies are not only the first port of call in our bid to remain youthful looking, but they remain an important beauty-enhancing/anti-aging tool that can prolong the longevity of the more invasive elective treatments.
In these series, we will examine in some depth all non-invasive procedures, starting of course with Botox and its less well-known applications, going through topics such as fillers, lasers, carboxy, dermabraision, micro needling, thread lifts, white box, Dracula and other therapies available today.
As always, the experience, skill, aesthetic judgement and innovative mindset of your anti-aging doctor are paramount in achieving the best results.