Cosmetic changes More boomers are undergoing surgery to improve their looks

Plastic surgery has become more common among seniors, especially women ages 55 and up, says Ana Phelps, marketing director and cosmetic consultant at Dr. Deisher's Heartland Plastic and Hand Surgery in Cape Girardeau. In many cases, these patients have lost a spouse and are preparing to re-enter the dating scene.

"They still want to look good and feel good," says Phelps. Facial procedures like face and eye lifts are most popular among seniors, and tummy tucks come in at No. 2, she notes. Many seniors also benefit from reconstructive plastic surgery after a medical procedure.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, Jackson resident Mary Kirn, age 69, underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. It was a lengthy process, she says. After the mastectomy, she had to wait a year for the reconstruction because she was still having chemotherapy treatments. Before the TRAM flap reconstruction, which transfers tissue from the abdomen to the breast, Kirn also had to use tissue expanders to make room for the implant in her breast. When it was finally time for the reconstruction, Kirn had surgery on her remaining breast, too, so that it would match her new breast. It took three or four weeks to recover from each surgery, but she says it was worth the wait.

"The reconstruction was wonderful," says Kirn, who has been cancer-free for six years. "You're not as good as you were, but the procedure is so good that even a nipple can be reconstructed ... It was a really positive experience for me." In fact, she says the results are so natural that no one can tell the difference between her looks now and before the experience, even when she's wearing low-cut gowns.

"Plastic surgery, especially of that type, makes you feel better about yourself," she adds.

In early January 2009, Kirn had a second plastic surgery, this time on her eyes. The eyelid lift surgery, called blepharoplasty, was meant to correct her "droopy lids and poor peripheral vision," she explains. While she was at it, she decided to have surgery on her lower lids, as well, to improve the entire area. She had some swelling and bruising, but says the surgery overall was not a problem and she was back to work in no time.

"I was totally open to plastic surgery for myself," says Kirn. "It's the thing to do if it will make you feel better about yourself. If you've had breast cancer, it's a must. For anything else, if it bothers you, then go for it!" She would consider having more cosmetic surgeries, but for now, she says, "only time will tell."

Lynn McLain, age 60, began experimenting about 10 years ago with Thermage and other anti-aging facial treatments. The Cape Girardeau woman has always struggled with sinus infections, and numerous surgeries had left her face looking older than she felt. She had also inherited her family's tendency toward labial fold lines, marionette lines, and jowls.

"I felt like I looked crabby, tired and irritated," says McLain. She considered plastic surgery, but quickly brushed it off: It was too expensive, too invasive, too scary. But after her last sinus surgery left her upper lip looking noticeably "lax," she began to reconsider.

"I realized, this is how I'm going to look as I age," says McLain. She spent two years researching facelifts before meeting with a Cape Girardeau surgeon and setting a surgery date for January 2008. Together, they discussed the procedure, her expectations, and things she could do to prepare, such as stocking up on soft foods to eat and bags of frozen peas to ease the swelling.

"I didn't expect to look 45, I just wanted to look upbeat and pleasant," says McLain. She adds that her plans to work for several more years intensified her desire to look fit and alert.

McLain's facelift extended from the bottom of her eyelashes to the bottom of her face. Doctors cut the skin, muscles and nerves around her ears and jawline, pulled back and tightened the skin, cut off the excess, and stitched the face back together. The surgery took only a couple of hours, and McLain was back home that evening and trying to cook dinner.

She didn't feel much pain after the surgery; her face just felt "weird" and there was some bruising and swelling. For a few weeks, her face was so numb and stiff that she couldn't chew the chicken in her soup or feel whether or not she was smiling. McLain stayed home for two straight weeks after the surgery, was working half days by week three, and was working full-time again by week four.

She and her family were struck by how the surgery changed her face. When you're used to seeing your face a certain way, says McLain, you forget about the features you used to have -- like well-defined cheekbones.

"It may have been 10 or 15 years since I saw that bone structure," she says. "It was a delight to look in the mirror. It was a surprise, almost."

The face continues to heal for about a year after surgery, and the lift should last up to 10 years, depending on a person's natural physique and how she cares for herself. McLain says she would definitely consider having another facelift.

"Overall the experience was a good one," she says. "There was never a moment where I felt physically, unbearably uncomfortable." She did have an initial, panicked reaction to the bruises and the tightness of her skin, but is grateful for her husband, David, who stood by her the entire time and reminded her how much she would love her new face.

"It worked out beautifully and I'm very happy," says McLain.

Her only wish now is that she had started the process five years earlier. However, she recalls that when she was in her 30s and 40s, average people didn't have plastic surgery. Only celebrities had plastic surgery, she says, but today, "the scene has changed considerably." With that in mind, she advises others to begin doing research in their late 40s so that they'll be ready for a lift by their early 50s. It's also very important to make time for research, planning and recovery, and find a doctor you feel comfortable with and can ask any questions.

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Header: The ABCs of cosmetic procedures

Abdominoplasty: A surgical procedure done to flatten your abdomen by removing extra fat and skin, and tightening muscles in your abdominal wall. This procedure is commonly referred to as a tummy tuck.

Autologen: A material used in lip augmentation to produce a look of fuller lips. Autologen is derived from your own skin and then injected into the lips.

Blepharoplasty: A primarily cosmetic surgical procedure that reduces bagginess from lower eyelids and raises drooping upper eyelids. The procedure involves the removal of excess skin, muscle and underlying fatty tissue.

Breast augmentation: A surgical procedure done to increase breast size.

Botox: A substance derived from botulinum toxin that works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to relax.

Brow lift: A surgical procedure in which the skin of the forehead and eyebrows is tightened to eliminate sagging eyebrows or correct frown lines in the forehead.

Chemical peel: A process in which a chemical solution is applied to the skin to remove dead skin cells and stimulate the production of new skin cells. This process is also called a chemexfoliation.

Debriding: The process of removing dead or devitalized tissue prior to reconstructive or cosmetic surgery.

Dermabrasion: A surgical procedure in which a patient's upper layers of skin, scarred from acne, pox or other causes, is frozen and then removed using a high-powered rotating brush.

Electrolysis: A hair removal procedure in which chemicals or heat is used to destroy the hair follicle.

Lip Augmentation: A procedure done to improve deflated, drooping or sagging lips, correct their symmetry or to reduce fine lines and wrinkles around them. This is often done through injections or implants.

Liposuction: A cosmetic procedure in which a special instrument called a cannula is used to break up and suck out fat from the body. This procedure is also known as lipoplasty.

Mammoplasty: Any reconstructive or cosmetic surgical procedure that alters the size or shape of the breast.

Mastectomy: The surgical removal of part or the entire breast.

Mastopexy: Also called a breast lift, this procedure removes excess skin in order to lift up sagging or drooping breasts.

Micropigmentation: A form of tattooing commonly used to apply permanent makeup by injecting iron oxide pigment into the middle layer of your skin (dermis).

Rhinoplasty: A cosmetic procedure used to enhance or change the appearance of the nose. Rhinoplasty is commonly referred to as a nose job.

Rhytidectomy: Commonly called a facelift, this surgical procedure is done to eliminate the sagging, drooping, and wrinkled skin of the face and neck.

Septoplasty: A surgical procedure done to improve the flow of air to your nose by repairing malformed cartilage and/or the bony portion. The procedure is often performed along with a rhinoplasty.

Sclerotherapy: A medical procedure used to eliminate varicose veins and "spider veins." During the procedure, an injection of a solution (generally sodium chloride) in placed directly into the vein.

Source: WebMD.com