Plastic surgery is a good option to moderately change those areas of our body with which we are not comfortable. There is much discussion about the age of the patients and the type of operations, but the truth is that there are no strict limits.
In the case of children, it is clear that plastic surgery operations are not the most indicated, but on some occasions, they may be totally necessary to prevent children from acquiring complexes or receiving a rejection from their peers. In childhood, one of the most common interventions is otoplasty, which is a simple way to solve the problem of “protruding ears”.
Except in cases of extreme need, specialists always advise waiting until children are older to perform cosmetic operations. Only 1.5% of the operations of this type that are carried out each year in Spain are carried out on minors.
In certain circumstances, even if the patient is of legal age, it is recommended to wait. This is the case of the breast augmentation operation. This intervention is demanded by younger and younger patients, but surgeons recommend waiting until the breast has fully developed, which does not happen until approximately 21 years of age.
Likewise, there is also much talk about the convenience or not of having plastic surgery in elderly patients. In this sense, it should be clarified that there is no maximum age after which a surgical intervention of this type is discouraged. Specialists usually look at factors other than age to evaluate the possibility of carrying out an intervention or not.
Is there an age limit for plastic surgery?
We have already seen that specialists are not in favor of placing a limit on the age of patients. In this matter, two important studies have been carried out by the Cleveland Clinic in which the risks of some surgical procedures in elderly patients were analyzed.
In both cases, it has been concluded that physiological age is more important than chronological age. In other words, what matters is the patient’s physical condition and not his age. Thus, there may be 30-year-olds whose health status makes them not suitable candidates for cosmetic or plastic surgery and 65-year-olds in good health and who, therefore, can undergo surgery without major problems.
However, it is true that as the years go by, diseases that are directly associated with age appear. A good example of this is cardiovascular problems, which can pose a risk when entering the operating room.
However, these types of age-related pathologies are not in themselves a reason for the patient not to have an operation. The doctor will take care of a complete check-up to assess the risks and will indicate to the patient whether or not they can undergo the operation.
To all this, we must add that aesthetic interventions are less and less invasive, so there is less risk.
The most demanded operations in each age
There is another important relationship between the age of patients and cosmetic surgery operations, and that is the type of treatment demanded.
Between 18 and 29 years of age, the most requested operations are breast augmentation and rhinoplasty. From 30 to 45 years old, women usually demand operations that help them recover from the physical consequences of pregnancy. Thus, the most requested operations are liposuction, tummy tuck, and breast lift.
After 45 years of age, the interest is focused on maintaining a face that does not show too many signs of the passage of time. In this age group, the most demanded operations are facial surgeries, correction of neck sagging, and eyelid surgery.
The recommended age for each operation
Now that we know which surgical treatments are most in-demand at each age, we are going to see the age recommended by doctors for each operation.
- The ears can be operated on from the age of six.
- For breast reduction, it is advisable to wait until 18 years of age, unless the breasts are too large and cause significant discomfort.
- For breast augmentation, it is recommended to wait until 21.
- In the case of nose operations, for women, it is recommended to wait for the first menstruation, while in the case of men you have to wait until 16-18 years.
- The double chin can be operated on even in those under 18 if there is excess skin due to genetic causes.
- There is no specific age for the eyelids; in cases of premature aging, it is done from the age of 30.
- The lifting of the facial oval is usually done in women between 40 and 50 years old, although good results are also obtained after 60. In the case of men, this operation is usually carried out between 50 and 60 years.
- Liposuction can be practiced on any patient of legal age, but the most common is that these patients are over 30 years old, which is the age at which fat begins to accumulate in that area.
- Abdominoplasty is recommended from the age of 45, or after postpartum if you are not planning to have more children.
- For operations on the neck, it is recommended to wait until old age, when rope-like wrinkles appear from the top of the neck to near the clavicle.
Alternatives to the operating room
For those who for reasons of age or any other reason do not want to undergo surgery, on an aesthetic level there are already many treatments that help the body and face look their best without the need for a scalpel.