It happens to the best of us. Aging.  It creeps up on us in our late 20's and has us in a stranglehold by 70.  We notice the first signs of aging, usually in a panic, as we first detect a line or two that doesn't go away.  Lightly etched, but taking a permanent position near our eyes and above the mouth, the aging process has begun.

But just how does our face change with age? Long ago, I learned that noses and ears keep growing throughout our lives. Looking at my grandparents, each with a pretty generous schnoz, I wondered what else is true of an aging face? What can we really expect? And most importantly, can we correct these changes?

EYES APPEAR MORE SUNKEN

As fat pockets in the cheeks flatten and shrink with age, facial skin looses support and begins to sag leaving a hollow trough under the eyes.  Furthermore, the brow drops adding to excess upper eyelid skin. The upper lid visually disappears. 

To age-defy the eye area, Dr. Gilbert Lee can perform a blepharoplasty (or eyelid lift) to remove excess, drooping skin. Tear trough implants can be surgically placed to correct a sunken look as well as dermal fillers injected into the area.

EARLOBES DROOP

Gravity loves to pull on these pendulous appendages. Over time, the earlobes get bigger and longer adding to the overall size of the ears.

If you are getting long in the lobe, Dr. Lee can surgically reduce their size in a simple in-office procedure.  Individuals with small, atrophied earlobes see improvement with the injection of a dermal filler such as Juvederm, Restylane or Radiesse to restore volume and plump the earlobes.

THE NOSE GROWS

Although bones cease to grow and in fact shrink with age, the cartilage of the nose does continue to grow. As a result, the end of the nose may appear larger as a person grows older. Gravity does its thing on the tip of the nose pulling it downward extending the length of the nose.

Rhinoplasty is a surgical option for reducing the size of the nose.  

LIPS SHRINK

Lips change their shape and begin to look thinner and weaker with a loss of definition to the lip border. Loss of skin elasticity and facial fat volume amplified by the pull of gravity contributes to the development of wrinkles around the mouth (lip lines).  

Fractional laser rejuvenation (TotalFX) is a minimally, invasive  method of resurfacing the skin to reduce the depth of wrinkles and improve their appearance. A liquid gel dermal filler such as Restylane or Juvederm can be injected directly into the vertical lines around the mouth or directly into the lip to temporarily add volume and minimize the lip lines.  Another option is the injection of fat for a more permanent correction.

  THE CHIN RECEDES

As bone density diminishes and soft tissue support shrinks, the chin appears to recede. A receding chin causes the nose and upper teeth to appear more prominent. Sagging skin adds to an ill-defined jawline and the prominence of jowls.

Dr. Lee can correct a receding chin and improve your profile with the surgical placement of a chin implant.  Radiesse can also be injected into the chin to add volume. Although not a permanent correction, Radiesse can last up to 18 months.

Although aging isn't something we look forward to, it is nice to know these five features have more than five ways to defy their aging appearance.  Read more about anti-aging surgical and non-surgical options at www.ChangesPlasticSurgery.com.