When To Do What Procedures

With so much emphasis on taking a proactive approach to aging, it can be confusing to figure out which procedures are appropriate to do at what age. Here’s what the experts have to say.

In your 30s, try Botox.
By now, you should probably be getting small doses of Botox injected in the crow’s-feet area and between the eyebrows, which will help slow the aging process by minimizing muscle activity in the area.

In your 40s, start fillers.
As collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and fat are lost, thin skin and hollowness set in. “This is the time to start using hyaluronic acid fillers,” says New York facial plastic surgeon Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD. “They lift the skin, fill deep grooves and thwart lines and creases from forming.”

In your 50s, consider surgery.
Loose, saggy skin becomes problematic at this point. If you can get away with a noninvasive procedure to tighten up the lower part of your face, it may buy you a little more time before there is a need for surgery.

In your 60s and beyond, maintain your results.
If you’ve already had a facelift, maintenance treatments like injectables, fillers and lasers will help prolong the results; if jowls and loose skin are evident, and haven’t been previously addressed, now is the time to correct them with surgery.