By plastic surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer. 

Many plastic surgery procedures target the signs of aging. Women and men alike often attend consultations at my office in London with questions related to facelifts, necklifts, eyelid surgery and such, all wondering how fantastically youthful they will look following the surgery. It’s very common for patients to explore cosmetic surgery options as soon as they begin to see the physical signs of aging creep up on them.

At the same time, there are patients who wonder if they are in fact too old for plastic surgery.

Is it ok for people older than 60 to have plastic surgery?
Am I too old for a facelift?
Is there an age where I should not have plastic surgery?
Is there any point in having plastic surgery if I’m this old?

These are the questions that patients in their 60s, 70s, and older, often ask.

Fortunately, there is good news.

A past study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that cosmetic procedures are just as safe for the elderly as they are the young. The study highlights that the findings demonstrate that patients over the age of 65 can safely seek out cosmetic procedures with complications rates that are the same as those found with younger patients, provided the cosmetic surgery is carried out by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Finding a qualified and highly experienced plastic surgeon is the key to ensuring the highest levels of safety and lowest levels of risk when it comes to cosmetic surgery procedures, regardless of your age. When you walk through my door for your consultation, I’m not looking to discuss your age in too much detail - although age is a factor in terms of making sure certain procedures aren’t performed on patients who may be too young or not yet in real need for the procedure.

Instead, I want to spend time discussing other priorities that we should consider before deciding whether cosmetic surgery is both right and safe for you.

These important considerations include:

What is your state of physical health like?

One of the most important things a plastic surgeon should want to ensure is that you’re in great physical health before any surgery is performed. Your medical history should be discussed in a non-judgemental manner, with the ultimate goal of delivering the best results in the safest way possible. Understanding your background with your medical history disclosed will help a plastic surgeon achieve that. Your surgeon will want to know any medication you may be taking, or if you are dealing with any medical conditions. If a plastic surgeon isn’t completely confident about the state of your health, they should not be performing any procedures on you.

How are you feeling emotionally?

A second important factor is your mental well-being and ability to choose a cosmetic procedure for the right reasons. Patients must understand realistic expectations when it comes to both achievable results and the recovery time that will be needed. As an elderly patient, it’s unrealistic to expect results that will knock several decades off your appearance. It’s about subtle changes that do still provide a more youthful appearance, but that does so not at the expense of making you appear to be a completely different person. You should also expect a longer recovery time than somebody much younger, as it’s likely to take your body a lot longer to repair itself. Plastic surgeons want to ensure their patients are fully aware of what will happen before, during and after the procedure, and believe that their patients are able to handle this. Everyone must be on the same page before moving forward with plastic surgery.

Are you worried that you’re too old for plastic surgery? If so, why not book in your initial consultation with me here at Harley Street Aesthetics? We can discuss your concerns and the areas of your face or body that you’d like to potentially address with cosmetic surgery and then take it from there. For a completely confidential discussion, get in touch by calling 0845 519 7232, e-mailing info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or by completing the online contact form.