When electing to have cosmetic surgery, age is definitely a factor – in more ways than one.

How young is too young? How old is too old?

It all depends on the type of surgery.

Age Before Beauty?

For example, cosmetic surgery is rare among teenagers, who only account for four percent of all the cosmetic surgery procedures performed each year. Many plastic surgery procedures are best performed once the body has reached its full adult size. For girls, adult size is typically reached at age 14 or 15, while for males it’s 15-16.

Nevertheless, rhinoplasty (aka a nose job) is a popular choice among older teen patients, accounting for about 50 percent of all cosmetic surgical procedures performed. Among male teens, male breast reduction is a popular procedure.

Although rhinoplasty is also popular among patients in their 20s, the most popular procedure among this age group is breast augmentation. While saline implants are the only option for late teen breast augmentation patients, both saline and silicone can be used by patients aged 21 and older.

Botox treatments have become a popular choice for thirty-somethings, with the number of treatments performed rising to more than 1 million per year for this age group. In terms of surgical procedures, liposuction and breast augmentation are also popular choices. In addition, women who are finished with their child-bearing often undergo a “Mommy Makeover” procedure. This customized set of procedures is designed to restore the body to its pre-pregnancy shape, often including liposuction, a tummy tuck, and breast life surgery.

While the signs of aging can start as early as your 30s, they are certainly noticeable in one’s 40s and early 50s. To retain their youthful looks, patients in this age group often opt for blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or a MACS lift, a facelift with no incision behind the ear. Beyond 55, facelifts, Botox, and dermal fillers remain the most popular procedures.

Here is a good age guide for specific cosmetic surgeries:

·       Forehead – Botox procedure – optimum age 35+

·       Eyes – Eye lift – optimum age 40. Eye Bag surgery – optimum age 19+. The earlier these go, the better, as lifting sagging eyelids or removing bags makes a significant difference in your looks.

·       Nose – Rhinoplasty – optimum age 20+. This should be performed only when the facial bones have stopped growing, but also before 50 when your skin becomes looser.

·       Face – Facelift – optimum age 45. In your 40s, your skin is still elastic. So, if done early enough – rather than in your 50s or 60s, you won’t look as if you’re had surgery.
·       Lips – Lip enhancement – optimum age 37. Lips start thinning from your late 20s, but the effect isn’t noticeable until your mid to late 30s.

·       Breasts – Breast implants – optimum age 25. Breast uplift – optimum age 45. Implants last about 15 years or less, if there are complications such as hardening. Girls under 18 should not have implants since it is important to wait until breasts stop developing.

·       Stomach – Tummy tuck – optimum age 35+. You should not have a tummy tuck until you’ve had your last child. It is a major surgery and you need to be in fit condition, so it is not advised for anyone older than their 60s.

·       Hands/Age Spots – Gentle laser treatment – optimum age 50+. This technology reduces age spots by 50 percent in one treatment, and up to 80 percent in several sessions.

·       Hips and thighs – Liposuction – optimum age is 30-35. Before 30, diet and exercise are the best option. Under 35, skin elasticity is better, producing better results since the skin snaps back over the new, slimmer shape.

·       Skin – Laser skin resurfacing – optimum age 50. Photo rejuvenation – optimum age 35. Laser skin resurfacing is an aggressive procedure not worth doing until you are in your early 50s. Photo rejuvenation helps improve sun damage, skin texture, and red veins. Along with Botox, it can mean never needing a facelift.

Is it the right time for plastic surgery? At Iorio Plastic Surgery & Medspa, we work with patients of every age and every stage of life. If you’re ready to make a change in your appearance, whether you’re a teen or a grandparent, we’re ready to help you. Call Iorio Plastic Surgery & Medspa today for a personal consultation on plastic surgery services. We can be reached at (732) 780-9191 in Colts Neck, New Jersey or (732) 458-7400 for Brick, New Jersey, or you can request an appointment online.