Cosmetic Treatments in Your 50s and 60s
Would you guess that leading lady Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Body” Elle MacPherson, and first African American Miss America Vanessa Williams are all in their 50’s? Well, wrap your head around this: arguably the most beautiful supermodel of all time, Christie Brinkley, is over 60, at an impossibly youthful and glowing 61 years old! What is it that makes these women so radiant, and ravishing, in their 50’s and beyond? Great genes and vegan diets aside, these celebrities keep us guessing at their age because they take advantage of today’s proven cosmetic procedures.
However well one prepares for the inevitable aging process, there is no skincare fountain of youth. That’s not to say that prevention and proactive skincare regimens aren’t key to slowing down the signs of aging. In the last weeks, I covered the best cosmetic treatments for early aging skin in Cosmetic Treatments for Every Age: The 20’s and 30’s, followed by Cosmetic Treatments for Every Age: The 40’s, for aging skin. Now, we’re tackling the 50’s and 60’s. These decades are all about choosing the right advanced cosmetic treatments that achieve natural results, so you look and feel better than ever.
What to expect from skin during your 50’s & 60’s:
When women reach their 50’s, they only have about one-tenth of the estrogen that they previously had. Because estrogen stimulates collagen and oil production, this dramatic loss during menopause can manifest as very dry, cracked skin and existing fine and deep-set wrinkles will become more pronounced. As the face begins to sag overall, jowls can appear with the falling of the jawline and cheeks. The natural loss of volume that began in the 40’s continues, meaning sunken cheeks, thinner lips, hallowed eyes, and pronounced lines around the mouth. Dark spots from sun damage can appear or worsen on the hands and face. And, increasingly slowed cell turnover affects the face as vertical and horizontal lines deepen, the nose tip droops, and skin becomes noticeably thinner.
The Top Cosmetic Procedures For Your 50’s and 60’s:
1. Volumizing dermal fillers: I recommend Juvederm Voluma injections in the cheek area to recapture lost volume and lift the jowls. To find out how Juvederm Voluma works, what to expect, and if you’re a good candidate, read about it in The Arsenal.
2. Collagen boosting fillers: Sculptra can replace lost collagen for subtle, but noticeable, results. It is injected deep in the dermal layer to reinforce your skin’s structure and spur the production of new collagen. It is used primarily to restore fullness to medium and deep facial wrinkles, such as smile lines, marionette lines, nasolabial folds and chin wrinkles, and other sunken areas, such as your cheeks and temples.
3. Neurotoxin injections: Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin can soften horizontal lines across the forehead and perpendicular frown lines between the brows, crow’s feet, nasal squint lines, and lines around the neck.
4. Fraxel and CO2 resurfacing lasers: These more aggressive lasers can combat the increasing signs of sun damage and improve overall skin texture. Want to know more? Consult this Fraxel treatment guide that lays out everything you need to know—pain threshold, recovery time, effectiveness and cost.
5. Ultherapy: Mature skin usually requires two treatments of Ultherapy per year to tighten skin laxity. This noninvasive skin tightening treatment uses ultrasound technology to tighten and lift the skin of the face and neck, making it a good alternative to a traditional facelift. The ultrasound energy contracts the muscles and deep tissue and stimulates the body’s own collagen to grow and strengthen, enhancing the scaffolding that supports the skin, and resulting in tighter, smoother, more lifted skin. Read more about this anti-aging procedure in The Arsenal.
WORDS: Julie Russak, MD
More from Charlotte’s Book:
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Skin-Tightening Secret
Forever Young: The Shocking Price Celebrities Pony Up For Youthful Skin
