Welcome to our comprehensive video guide to the Science of Aging Face.
In this interview format series, we ask Dr. Bryce Cowan about typical changes that occur, and at what age these changes begin to occur. When are the soft procedures like Botox or dermal fillers appropriate, and can it replace the more costly surgical procedures like a facelift? Dr. Cowan takes us through the changes that we can expect, decade by decade, what interventions are and are not appropriate, and the benefits and drawbacks of soft procedures as well as cosmetic surgery options, and how they can compliment each other.
Finally, which patient might want to consider cosmetic surgery, and at what age it’s most effective and appropriate, and the right motivations to seek these elective procedures. Costs of treatment, how to identify and research the right surgeon, as well as questions about recovery time, risks of the procedure, and expectations are addressed.
A must watch for people that are curious about plastic surgery or soft procedures like dermal fillers and Botox.
Let’s begin. Our first video (scroll up to watch it) covers:
Non-Linear Aging Process
Why is it that some people (other people!) seem to age slower? It’s not fair! Plastic surgeon Dr. Bryce Cowan explains the complexities and factors that affect the timeline of aging, in the first part of the Science of Facial Aging series. Genetics is an obvious and important factor in determining how you will likely age — if your mom and dad had certain key markers of aging like a frown line in their 40s and baggy eyelids in their 50s, there’s a very good chance that you will follow a similar timeline as you share those genetics. However, environmental factors are just as important. Cumulative sun exposure and smoking are two major examples of environmental damage that directly damage the proteins that make up supple skin. So why does Bob or Jane look younger than me? It could be due to fortunate genetics, but it could also be due to differences in environmental factors — and it most likely is due to a combination of the two.
Importantly though, the timeline that people age at is not linear. That is, Bob or Jane may look younger than you now, and 10 years down the line, you may look younger. People show signs of aging at completely different rates, and perception also plays a factor. Many people who look young for a very long time often still have subtle changes that are less noticeable that are occurring just under the surface. Then they appear to have suddenly aged. Quite often, the changes strike people around them as sudden, but often there were actually many small changes that were occurring for some time that have become noticeable. Everyone ages at different rates, and in differing timelines depending on their genetics as well as various environmental factors.
