Can you reverse the aging process?
Dr. Bryce Cowan gives us the truth about aging, cosmetic surgery, and the difference between non-invasive procedures like Botox/fillers vs cosmetic surgery. First, there is no way to truly stop aging–it’s a continuous process. Plastic surgery is looking to delay or camouflage that process. There is no true reversal of aging as the process is continuous, and eventually those signs of aging will become evident.
In a patient’s 20s or 30s non-invasive treatments like Botox or dermal fillers may be a great option. Botox can really help reduce the presence of wrinkles in this age group and prevent fixed wrinkles from forming by freezing the muscles in that area. Similarly fillers are also very useful for fixing fine lines that may have already developed. Other soft modalities like laser and chemical peels can also have a dramatic improvement on the quality of skin.
At some point, however, the only way to truly stabilize and even “reverse” the symptoms of aging – even though again I want to be careful with the use of that word – is with cosmetic surgery once a patient gets to a certain age. Once the patient starts to show significant changes in the face, like the overall loss of the inverted triangle of youth, the only way to change that in a meaningful way is to reposition the facial elements to their proper place with cosmetic surgery, prior to adding back volume.
