As we age our priorities in life tend to change, as do our bodies and our feelings about what we can change about our bodies. When considering plastic surgery, depending on a woman’s age, she might want very different things out of her cosmetic procedures throughout different decades of her life.
For instance, when a woman is in her 20s the things she chooses to change about herself or enhance in herself will likely be different than what she wants to change or rejuvenate in her 40s. Similarly, when she is in her 60s, new body priorities and goals will impact the types of procedures she receives in order to alter or maintain her youth and beauty.
As the years go on, our skin texture and elasticity change, as does where and how easily we store fat. While losing weight seemed simple in your 20s, in your 40s you may realize that those stubborn fat cells just will not budge without the extra help from a board-certified plastic surgeon.
At North Raleigh Plastic Surgery we see firsthand the trends in which cosmetic procedures are performed for clients in different age demographics. We are here to share an overview of the most popular plastic surgery procedures for people depending on their age.
The Popular Surgery Choices for Women in Their 20s
Usually, patients between the ages of 20-29 want to enhance their natural beauty or change a specific thing about themselves that causes self-consciousness. Whether it’s eliminating the bump off the top of their nose or increasing the size of their breasts, women in their 20s commonly visit plastic surgery offices with a very specific, one-time goal in mind.
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation to enlarge the breasts is popular with patients in their 20s. Once a woman is in this age bracket, her body has completely developed and her breasts are fully grown, making it the optimal time to get implants to alter the size and shape of the breasts in order to feel more confident.
Patients in their 20s want to emulate the types of bodies they see in fashion magazines and typically have goals like looking great in a bikini or combating the insecurities they would have liked to change in their teen years. Having larger or fuller breasts is one of the most common plastic surgery goals for young women.
Breast Reduction
Additionally, by the time a woman is in her 20s, she will have experienced what parts of her body cause her pain, discomfort, or even dissatisfaction. Many younger women with large breasts find that this is the perfect time to seek out a breast reduction procedure. Breast reductions help fix ongoing back pain that aches due to carrying heavy breasts. It also can help someone with insecurities about their asymmetrical breasts make them more symmetrical, improving appearance and confidence.
Rhinoplasty
Commonly called a “nose job,” rhinoplasty is a popular plastic surgery choice for women in their 20s because it is their chance to make an alteration to their appearance that will impact their life. While women of other age demographics also find rhinoplasty a desirable choice, we notice that women in their 20s choose this as one of their most significant ways to feel more beautiful and improve self-esteem before any other facial rejuvenation procedures are necessary.
Butt Lift
If beauty trends of the last decade have taught us anything, it’s that bigger and firmer behinds are one of the most desired looks for young women. The Brazilian Butt Lift allows patients to have fat transferred from one spot in their body to their booty, giving the buttocks a firm, desirable lift and added curve.
Umbilicoplasty
If someone is unhappy with the appearance of their belly button, they can undergo an umbilicoplasty, known more commonly as belly button surgery. Sometimes used to change an outie to an innie or to change the look of the area after a significant weight loss, patients in their 20s choose an umbilicoplasty to feel more self-confident in a bikini or with their clothes off.
Common Cosmetic Procedures for Women in Their 30s and 40s
It is common for women in their 30s and 40s to be experiencing some of their first signs of aging as well as new developments to their bodies due to pregnancies, lifestyle changes, and their body’s ability to metabolize things differently than they used to.
These decades are a time when women decide to have cosmetic procedures to achieve and maintain more youthful looks to their body while finding ways to eliminate and get rid of stubborn fat that won’t melt away from diet and exercise alone. Because this is the time in a woman’s life when they may enter motherhood, new challenges to how their bodies react to weight gain, breastfeeding, and delivery of their child arise.
The Mommy Makeover
An all-encompassing term, the “mommy makeover” has quickly risen to the top to become one of the most requested procedures for women in their 30s and 40s. In a multi-service approach, patients undergo a breast lift or breast lift with breast augmentation, tummy tuck or mini-tummy tuck, and a labiaplasty within the same timeframe. In short, the patient receives a full-body makeover after experiencing the life-changing and body-changing event of having a child.
After a woman experiences pregnancy, her body can change in permanent ways. Particularly, the breasts, midsection, and vaginal region all are major causes of stress, anxiety, and self-consciousness for new mothers. The toll a woman’s body endures through the stages of breastfeeding can lead to changes in breast tissue that leads to asymmetry in the breasts– becoming another insecurity to deal with at the challenging time of raising a child.
New mothers looking to get back their pre-baby figures, or anyone looking for a full-service approach in combining multiple surgeries in one, can enjoy the benefits of the mommy makeover.
Liposuction
Liposuction can be included in a “mommy makeover,” but for all women in their 30s and 40s with and without children, both traditional liposuction and Lipo360 are popular plastic surgery procedures. Liposuction is a procedure that sucks the fat cells, with the use of a small tube, out of your body. Your plastic surgeon follows the natural contours of your shape, bringing the tube back and forth along trouble areas you’d like to fix in order to get rid of excess fat.
Liposuction is particularly popular with the 30s and 40s age demographic because these are the decades that a woman’s body does not as easily burn off fat as it may have in her 20s. Due to metabolic changes, weight fluctuations, pregnancies, and hormonal changes, fat can become very difficult to get rid of as we age. Those stubborn fat cells can be easily removed through liposuction, creating a smoother, slimmer, firmer, and more desirable appearance.
What Surgeries Are Popular with Women Aged 55+
Where previous decades saw changes in the body that lead toward surgical procedures, once a woman reaches her mid-late 50s and beyond, it’s the changes that time has made to her face that most commonly cause feelings of unhappiness.
It is perfectly normal that gravity takes effect, showing signs of sagging skin on the neck and cheeks, wrinkles and age spots, and drooping of the eyes and brows. Women aged 55+ often find that small, detail-focused rejuvenation procedures can make a huge impact in their self-esteem.
Face Lift and Neck Lift Surgeries
Both facelifts and neck lifts are popular with an older demographic of both women and men, as the removal of sagging skin and tightening of the skin for a youthful look are very commonly desired. Along with eyelid surgery and a brow lift, a face and neck lift can drastically improve the appearance of a person’s skin, rejuvenate the tautness of the skin, make someone look younger, and ultimately feel happier with their aging process.
A facelift is performed by creating incisions that are hidden close to the hairline near the ear. Facelifts alter the looks of the cheeks and jaw, and lift, tighten, firm, and smooth the fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging caused by aging. A neck lift tightens the muscles around the neck, eliminates saggy skin in the neck region, and smooths out any lines, wrinkles, or excess fat around the neck.
Meno Makeover
Women experiencing changes in their bodies after menopause will likely miss those younger days when fat was easier to burn and weight was more successfully lost. When a woman’s estrogen levels drop, weight is often redistributed around the midsection– the abdominal area, the hips, the buttocks, and the thighs accumulate and store fat more easily, making it harder to lose weight and a bigger challenge in combating negative thoughts about her body.
A meno makeover is an older woman’s version of the “mommy makeover,” only instead of coming off the heels of childbirth, you are coming off the heels of experiencing menopausal changes in your body. A meno makeover can include liposuction, breast augmentation surgery, facial surgeries like facelifts and eyelid lifting, and even non-surgical procedures like botox and lip fillers.
It’s important for women aged 55+ to discuss their goals with their doctor and come up with the perfect package of plastic surgery procedures that are right for them.
Schedule a Raleigh Plastic Surgery Consultation Today!
People of any age demographic can consult with a plastic surgeon about the surgery choices that are right for them and their body, and to achieve their goals. Just because something is popular with 40-somethings does not mean that you cannot undergo that procedure in your 20s. Regardless of your age, if you are unhappy with a part of yourself, our Raleigh board-certified plastic surgeon can help!
Call us today at 919-532-2270 to schedule a consultation or fill out the form below.
