“”I know I look better than I would have done without the surgery. People who tell you that age is wonderful are lying. There is nothing nice about being old.” (Joan Rivers, 77)
The likes of Joan Rivers (Queen of the Facelift), Burt Reynolds and Angela Lansbury (yes, even the senior sleuth herself credits an eye lift for helping her long career!) are testament to the cosmetic procedure boom amongst the older generation.
Men and women in the 60-80 age range are credited with being the fastest growing age bracket in terms of number of procedures performed annually. Celebrity role models like Sofia Loren, Madonna and Helen Mirren (all of whom claim to have undergone no surgery) have further elongated the age range within which ageless beauty and youthful, attractive appearance is possible.
Society’s regular seniors aren’t put off procedures by UK costs. Cosmetic tourism (i.e. cosmetic surgery abroad) is a booming industry, and those seeking the likes of cosmetic dentistry abroad frequent medical facilities in highly praised locations like Turkey, Korea and the U.A.E.
Whilst thrifty younger patients seek out cosmetic surgery abroad to radically alter their looks, the older generation tend to yearn for a simpler, subtle change. Nose-reshaping, facelifts, eye-bag removal, Botox, brow and neck lifts are amongst the most popular 60+ age range procedures. One of the most significant areas of increase is cosmetic dentistry abroad. Men and women who, fifteen years ago, wouldn’t have dreamed they could make a significant change, are investing in high-quality cosmetic dental care.
The simple fact is that the older generation now have the time, money, and motivation to care about, maintain and enhance their looks. Retirement can typically span more than twenty-five years (that’s a long time to look in the mirror and hate those eye bags!) and, when combined with new technology and safer procedures, the allure of the knife seduces many.