How the Face Changes with Age

As men and women age, they often want to consider cosmetic procedures that will help them maintain a more vibrant and youthful appearance.  People enjoy more active and productive years and improving their appearance can enhance their quality of life.  Understanding how the face ages is the first step towards choosing a cosmetic procedure.

Aging of the face is affected by several factors.  Gender, the effects of gravity and genetics are predetermined, but other factors like sun exposure, smoking, nutrition and skin care are controllable lifestyle choices.

The Thirties 

In the thirties, the eyelids can start to look droopy and excess fat can also create the look of bags under the eyes giving a permanently tired look.  Creases from the nose to the mouth begin to deepen, as do the creases from the corners of the mouth to the jaw.  Frown lines often become visible between the eyebrows due to squinting and frowning.  Decades of sun exposure can show up as fine wrinkles as well as brown spots and spider veins on the face.

The Forties

In the forties, forehead wrinkles, crows feet and deepening frown lines are noticeable even at rest.  The jaw begins to slacken and lines may show around the lips caused by repeated muscle movement and worsened if smoking is a factor.  Visible discoloration of the teeth causes an aged look, and is worsened due to coffee, tea, wine and smoking.  Often, thinning of the lips is noticed.  Rough, scaly brown patches worsen with continued, unprotected sun exposure.  Often, this is more obvious on the left side of the face, due to the effects of sun exposure while driving.

The Fifties

In the fifties, there is more wrinkling around the mouth and neck, eyes and sagging of the brow.  Wrinkles are deeper and visible at rest.  The tip of the nose can droop.  There is a shifting down of the fat pads from the cheek area which gives a flatter appearance to the face.  This also accentuates the deepening creases from the nose to the mouth.  Separation of the neck muscle bands gives a stringy look to the neck.

The Sixties 

Men and women notice that when in their sixties, the skin becomes progressively thinner due to the loss of collagen and cumulative environmental damage.  Facial sagging and wrinkling continues to become more apparent.  Loss of fat under the skin makes the cheeks look hollow.  Hooding of the brow and increasing sagging of the upper eyelids makes the eye area appear smaller.  There is often an accumulation of age spots on the skin which become progressively larger and rough-textured.  These sun damaged areas of the skin can sometimes progress to skin cancers. 

In the past, there were few options for treating the signs of aging.  We now have the benefit of many effective surgical and non-surgical treatments which address the signs of aging.  Generally, the earlier the cosmetic treatment is done, the better the outcome.  Also the individual will have that many more years to enjoy their rejuvenated appearance.

Kathy de Langley  R. N.
March 2007