I don't look as young as I feel. What's the best age to have cosmetic surgery?

The best age to have cosmetic surgery is when your aging face bothers you enough to correct it — when you don't look like you any more. Most of our patients are in their forties or fifties but we can perform it earlier if your face has aged enough. Or later.

Ask yourself the magic question: "Will I gain enough (improved appearance and increased self-esteem) for it to be worth the cost (time, money, risk and what your mother might say)? If your answer is, "yes", then do it now. If it is "no", then wait until the answer becomes "yes"…if it ever does.

Another question to ask yourself is: "When do I want to look the best I can look? Now?…or some other time?"

Is it vain to have cosmetic surgery?

We don't think so. Vanity is an excessive preoccupation with appearance. Few of our patients fit into this category. Our patients seem to have a healthy concern that their appearance match the way they feel inside.

Is cosmetic surgery necessary?

No. Cosmetic surgery isn't necessary surgery. It falls into a different category - useful surgery. Rather than asking yourself if you need cosmetic surgery, ask instead if it would be useful. When a patient asks us if she needs it… a frequent question… we tell her, "No you don't. But it might be useful if you want to look your best." One woman said, "I fixed my sagging porch. Why wouldn't I fix my sagging face?"

How much younger can I look?

We love asking people afterwards how much younger they and their friends feel they look. Mostly we hear ten years. Sometimes fifteen, and, once in a while, twenty years younger. A lot depends on how much change you want and how much your type of aging allows.

Isn't it rather drastic to have cosmetic surgery?

For some, it may seem drastic. For others, not. There's only so much you can do with makeup, hair styling and wardrobe to counter the effects of aging. When these don't do the trick, cosmetic surgery has become a popular alternative for millions of people.

Can I look younger without having a complete face lift?

 Yes. Many times we can do lesser procedures to postpone a face lift for many years. We believe you should have the least amount to get the result you want.

Often we correct just the neck droop or just the loose cheeks. Or we can smooth eyelid wrinkles. We can improve wrinkling around your mouth with heat-wiping. We can turn up down-turned mouth corners. Or perhaps lift low brows to open your face more. A chemical peel can get rid of brown spots and improve a blotchy complexion to give your face a more youthful shine.

Do I have to be hospitalized?

We have not found it necessary to hospitalize our patients. We would estimate that almost everyone can have cosmetic surgery as an outpatient.

We perform our procedures in the fully-equipped operating suites at our center. We have found it safe and it keeps your costs down.

How long does cosmetic surgery last?

The best answer is forever… in the sense that you will always look younger than if you had not done it. Cosmetic surgery can turn the clock back, but the clock keeps running. Moreover, the face-clock runs faster every year whether you've had cosmetic surgery or not.

Does that mean if I have cosmetic surgery now I will need to have more?

No. Cosmetic surgery does not speed up the aging process. On the other hand, many do return for more work as they get older. Sometimes for another face lift, but more often for lesser procedures - perhaps trimming a loose area or smoothing of some new wrinkles which makeup can no longer handle. We have developed lots of little procedures to help maintain your looks — some we’ve written up in medical journals, some not.

Though we can't keep you looking young we can sure keep you looking younger!

Harvey W. Austin, MD
Box 1470
Berlin MD 21811
email: h.austin@mchsi.com