This is one of the most common questions I get. While this is an understandable concern in someone in their late 80s or 90s, I am surprised how often I get this from patients in their 60s. The truth is, patients at any age are candidates for elective surgery if they meet certain criteria.
Recent studies have demonstrated that patients older than 65 (and even over 80) who have cosmetic procedures done have no higher risks of complications than patients who are in their late 30s. This despite that fact that seniors often have a higher risks profile than younger patients. In addition, some studies have shown that more senior patients will have less chance of forming thickened scars after surgery.
There are downsides to approaching cosmetic surgery later in life. In general, the tissues may not hold the results for as many years as someone who does a procedure in their 30s or 40s. Also, the ability to do combination cases (multiple procedures at once) or longer cases is more limited. That said, patients often will see a more dramatic result when procedures are done later in life.
The real issue when deciding if someone is a candidate for elective surgery is their overall health. Many octogenarians have better health than patients half their age. If there is concern regarding someone’s health and ability to undergo anesthesia and a cosmetic procedure, I will often ask the patient’s internist or cardiologist to help us in gauging the risks. And for those patients who are unable to undergo elective surgery, we have never had more nonsurgical options such as Botox, Juvederm, other injectable fillers and laser treatments.
While age is a factor in deciding if someone is able to have elective surgery, it is a minor one. Patients who are healthy and have features that would benefit from cosmetic surgery are potentially candidates no matter what their age.