Dr. Lindsey's Newsletter #29: Plastic Surgery by Decade - 60s: Baby Come Back

Plastic Surgery by Decade

60s: Baby Come Back

In the previous edition we covered the evolution of skin and the skincare and non-surgical tools we have to rehabilitate skin in your sixties. In this second part of the sixties decade edition we will cover surgical procedures of the body that meet the needs of the changes your body is facing. We are going to save the complex topic of facial aging for next edition.

The Menopause Makeover (this applies to men too - y’all just don’t have a catchy name yet)

You did it! The 60s decade represents a milestone of surviving puberty, your reproductive years (whether or not you had children), menopause, and for gentlemen a change in hormones and metabolism. Your body tells a story of what it has navigated in your lifetime. The evolution of your body with time is influenced by genes, epigenetics, and lifestyle. Our culture generally understands and celebrates the mommy makeover after child bearing. I think that the 60s deserve their own makeover after all you have overcome and accomplished.

Body Contouring

The affect of a gravitational force upon the body over a lifetime is a downward trajectory and drooping of body features. If you experienced any significant weight gain and loss in your life then you will also face the challenge of stretched out deflated skin. You have probably noticed that your skin isn’t as full and taught as it once was. Common body contouring procedures well-suited for your menopause makeover include:

Brachioplasty (arm lift): if you have extra skin that hangs from your upper arms between your shoulder and your elbow then this procedure can help remove that excess skin.

Breast lift: this procedure repositions your breast mound higher, reshapes the breast to a tighter fuller mound, reduces the areola, and raises the nipple to a more youthful position. If your goal is to have a perkier but natural breast, this is the procedure for you. If you are wanting larger breasts then you can combine a lift with a breast augmentation with implants. This will give the upper portion of your breast fullness that a lift will not. 

Abdominoplasty: this procedure commonly referred to as a tummy tuck, isn’t just for post-pregnancy changes. If you have extra skin, especially above the umbilicus then this procedure could be a good fit for you. An abdominoplasty removes extra skin and tightens the abdominal wall creating a flatter contour without those extra tummy rolls. this is done through an incision that is carefully placed in the underwear/bikini line. The benefit of the dramatic change in abdomen contour far outweighs the easily hidden scar. 

Buttock Lift: This procedure is not only can lift the buttock, but also lifts the upper thighs. The scar is placed in the underwear line along your back side just above the buttock. Drooping tissue is repositioned higher and the buttock has a fuller appearance with less contour irregularities. 

Thigh Lift: the thighs are composed of mobile areas of skin/fat and other densely adherent ares of skin/fat. The mobile area which extends from your groin crease down the middle of your thigh is the area that can be properly treated with surgery to tighten the overall contour of the upper leg. This procedure trades a long inner thigh scar for sagging skin. If your sagging skin is bad enough, then the scar is worth it. If you just have a very minor amount of skin sag then I recommend you build muscle in your legs to fill it out instead of opting for a large scar. 

Choosing Your Surgeon

The only way to know if you are a good candidate for one of these procedures is to have a proper examination and consultation with a plastic surgeon trained by an ABPS residency program. Make sure that your surgeon has credentials that meet this standard. Your surgeon should either by board certified by the ABPS (there is no other legitimate board for plastic surgery) or they should be in the process of obtaining board certification. This can take a few years upon completion of training. I have taken and passed part I of my boards, the written portion (think the biggest standardized test you have ever taken with 6 years of knowledge packed in). I am currently collecting my cases to submit to the ABPS board for part II of the board certification process. This process alone puts me in the hot seat in the best way. I know that everything I do with my patient care will be discussed with the board and I will be held accountable for practicing at the highest standard of care and ethics. I am so proud to be an ABPS trained plastic surgeon and to be a part of this rigorous process. 

A common misstep by patients seeking a qualified surgeon is to see “board certified” on their website/social media but not investigate what board that is. Commonly surgeons will advertise board certification but it is in Dermatology or some ill-defined “Cosmetic Board”. You want a surgeon who went through a rigorous training program where evaluation of research, data, and peer-reviewed journal articles were a part of their training. You also want a surgeon who was taught their trade by real plastic surgeons, not by general surgeons or dermatologists that formed their own “fellowship” with a printed board certification at the end. What the ABPS represents is the highest standard of training in aesthetics and reconstructive surgery, very close oversight in training, milestone standards that must be met to progress, and rigorous examinations. 

Join me next week as we learn about the process of facial aging and aesthetic surgery  procedures to rejuvenate the head and neck. This is one of my favorite topics, I hope you enjoy learning about it.n

As always, here's to choosing how we age, on our own terms!

Dr. Lindsey Tavakolian, MD MPH