Plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures offer a variety of options when it comes to facial reconstruction. A patient can have a number of procedures done at once or isolate a single problem area. Since people choose to undergo facial plastic surgery procedures for a number of reasons that include age and medically related reasons, there is no correct age category for any facial plastic or cosmetic surgery procedure. However, certain procedures are more common among different age groups, and that’s not a coincidence.

• Twenties: The nose job is the most commonly performed facial cosmetic procedure on people in their twenties, although the surgery is common among older groups as well because a person’s nose continues to grow for their entire life, and among children for medical reasons. Adults in their twenties are more apt to make a big change to their appearances for purely cosmetic purposes because they still have many years ahead of themselves. This group also tends to have a lower income to debt ratio and the resources necessary to pay for more expensive plastic surgery procedures.
• Thirties: Facial procedures that are popular for the thirty-somethings are chin and cheek augmentations, and this is also related to income levels. These procedures are usually elective and must be paid for out of pocket, and people tend to become more financially secure during their thirties. Both procedures involve building up the targeted area with an implant to give the face more definition. People in their thirties who are uncomfortable with their looks are also more motivated to make elective changes unrelated to age than other age groups.
• Forties: People in their forties actually have fewer plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures than any other age group. But one procedure that becomes more common near the end of this decade is lip augmentation. As people become older their skin loses collagen, causing their lips to become thinner and gain age lines, especially if a patient smokes. A lip augmentation reduces the appearance of wrinkles and makes lips appear fuller by injecting fat, collagen, or a number of other alternative substances into the lips.
• Fifties: Many plastic surgery procedures become more common among people in their fifties and beyond because of the effects of gravity and aging on the body, seen first and foremost in the face. Many plastic surgery patients in their fifties are opting for more complete facial procedures like face lifts and brow lifts, which are often performed in conjunction with one another and/or one or more other facial procedures that can help reduce and prevent the signs of aging. In one’s fifties is the optimal time to have a face or brow lift as a preventative measure, before heavy age lines and sagging skin really begin to set in.
• Sixties: Neck lifts are most common among people in their sixties and seventies, but second only to people in their thirties and forties who have lost a lot of weight, leaving saggy neck skin or jowls behind. Older groups tend to get more neck lifts though because of the effects of aging, sagging skin and weight loss combined, since people tend to lose weight slowly as they get older and eat less.
• Seventies: People in their seventies and beyond get the fewest plastic surgery procedures, but one that is often medically necessary for older people is eyelid surgery. Due to gravity, sagging eye skin, and weight loss, eyelids can become so droopy that it interferes with a person’s ability to see clearly, in addition to it being uncomfortable. Seniors commonly experience all three of these prerequisites, making them the group most commonly associated with eyelid surgery.

Those interested in plastic surgery should consider their age bracket when making their decision. Sometimes patients want several procedures at once—which can be done—but going overboard will take away from the subtle refinement of the outcome. Considering age is important for the effectiveness of procedures as well. For example, a 20-something probably doesn’t need to invest in Botox just yet.

Carefully consider what kind of cosmetic procedure is right for you. Feel free to consult your surgeon to create a long-term plan for decades to come—after all, a little help can’t hurt the process of aging gracefully.