With more of the population living longer and remaining active members of the workforce for longer periods of time, plastic surgery has become a popular method for reducing the physical signs of aging.
Dr. James Bradley, a UCLA professor of plastic surgery, said national interest in both plastic surgery and anti-aging medicine has increased in the past five years.
He added that, as a result of living longer, people are seeing the effects of aging more, and want to focus on their looks for a variety of reasons, including competing with younger people for jobs.
Dr. Mossi Salibian, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said one reason plastic surgery has increased in popularity is the need to look younger at an old age.
“It’s a trend to be older but look younger. It’s a competition to look good no matter what,” Salibian said. He said many college students also come in for plastic surgery, but noted that the younger age demographic seek out appearance alterations rather than anti-aging treatments, although all have the same motivation of looking their best with their bodies in the best shape possible.
“Young patients come in to alter their appearance which can include breast augmentations and tummy tucks,” he said. On the other hand, older patients tend to come in to adjust the physical signs of aging.
“They reverse the signs of aging by getting face-lifts, Botox ““ eliminating wrinkles and unwanted lines. They get the satisfaction of feeling younger,” Salibian said.
There are also a variety of holistic treatments that go into controlling aging that must be done in addition to surgical procedures, Bradley said.
“Traditionally a plastic surgeon tries to turn back the clock (on aging), but we may get into holistic medicines and creams like antioxidants, free radical scavengers ““ things that potentially rejuvenate the skin,” Bradley said. Bradley added that the holistic approach implements lifestyle changes in patients who may undergo plastic surgery.
“You don’t just send the patient back to lie in the sun again ““ you get into a skin care regimen and antioxidants (in order to) prevent things that will advance aging,” he said.
As more people become interested in anti-aging treatments, Bradley said the medical community is facilitating research to find ways to heal cells. Some of the research constitutes looking at the fetal environment and healing wounds through borrowing cells from a developing fetus.
There is also research looking at adult-derived fat stem cells and using them to repair skin damage, Bradley said.
“We’re trying to turn on genes and make cells reusable. You can take liposuction or fat cells and turn them into stem cells,” he added.
With aging research continuing to develop, more ways to prevent the effects of aging are becoming a focus. Although aging is not something college students worry about, it will be on their minds eventually when the physical signs of age start to get noticeable in years to come.
Some students, such as third-year engineering student Christina Yin, said most young people do not need surgery, but the competition to look good is always a motivating factor with those who do end up getting some nips and tucks.
“I wouldn’t get surgery; I’m young and happy with my size,” Yin said. But she added that she understands why some opt for plastic surgery because of societal pressures. Despite the promising research of nonsurgical anti-aging treatments, Salibian said he believes plastic surgery is here to stay.
“Anti-aging treatments have shown nothing promising yet. Plastic surgery is time-tested by research and while it doesn’t reverse actual aging, it makes people look younger,” he said. In addition, many companies may use anti-aging marketing to make money, Dr. Salibian said.
“There’s not necessarily hard science to back it up,” he added.