At home and abroad, the baby boomers are aging, and they are
unwilling to concede their youthful looks to old age. In the United
Kingdom, the number of women over the age of 50 choosing to have
cosmetic surgery is increasing.
The reason for this is biological. Menopause is hard on the body, and
many women who have been happy with their appearance for their young
lives, find that the loss of skin elasticity that comes with age is
something that want to and are able to change. The Harley Medical Group
conducted a study in the UK that found a boom in the number of women
over 50 who are seeking cosmetic surgery. In one year's time, the study
found that the number of over 50 women booking cosmetic procedures
(including dermal fillers, laser treatment, Botox, and skin peels) has
increased by almost 70 percent.
Rajiv Grover, president elect of the British Association of Aesthetic
Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), put the findings in context. ?It?s really a
non-brainer that more women over 50 are opting for non-surgical
treatments," he told the Daily Mail. ?The treatments are most effective
for that age group and women of that age have greater disposable income
that allows them to fund treatment. Also, the signs of ageing only
really begin to be noticeable when you reach your fifties.?
The study found that large numbers of these women are selecting
non-invasive ways to enhance their appearance, with non-surgical
facelifts as a particular favorite. The Harley Medical Group could not
be sure, but it is suspected that many of these women seek cosmetic
surgery to combat the effects of menopause.
During menopause, levels of the reproductive hormone oestrogen drop off,
which leads to decreased production of collagen and elastin in the skin
and weakening of the color producing cells in the skin. This causes skin
to lose moisture and plumpness, sag, and produce uneven pigmentation.
These symptoms of aging are often treated with skin peels or laser
treatments, and in more intense cases, with surgical facelifts and fat
injections. Of these, non-surgical options are preferred by most women,
with dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, Botox, skin peels, and laser
treatments as the most popular options. Botox paralyzes nerves, which
prevents the patient from creating wrinkles in the treated area. Dermal
fillers add plumpness to the skin, smoothing wrinkles and restoring the
rounded appearance of youth. Chemical skin peels and microdermabrasion
are designed to improve the lustre and texture of the skin. Laser
treatments can be used for hair removal and for treating spider veins
(varicose veins).
The Harley Medical Group's research also revealed a 54 percent rise in
the number of people undergoing laser treatment for spider veins, and a
36 percent rise in the number of people undergoing laser hair removal.
Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are two different categories of
appearance altering procedures. Cosmetic surgery focuses on enhancing a
patient's appearance through surgical and medical techniques, but
because the treated areas function properly beforehand and surgery is
merely performed to improve aesthetic appeal, cosmetic surgery is
elective. Plastic surgery focuses on reconstruction of facial and bodily
defects caused by birth disorders, trauma, burns, and disease. Because
plastic surgery is more function oriented, it is separate from cosmetic
surgery, and health insurance companies are more likely to pay for such
procedures.