Concerns with aging are certainly not new. Ponce De Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth dates back to the 1500s. That search goes on still today as the signs of aging are met with increasing resistance. There is a growing distaste for wrinkles, facial lines, spots, and loss of elasticity. Judgments based on personal appearance are powerful forces in society and the workplace. Multiple studies link personal appearance to positive reactions from others, including friendship preference, romantic attraction, promotion and success in business.
Not only do “boomers” not think of themselves as old, they are facing the fact they are working longer and living longer. That means more competition for a limited number of jobs and issues related to quality of life.
Hence the strength of the booming anti-aging skincare industry. By some estimates, the U.S. market for cosmeceutical products — cosmetics with medicine-based ingredients — is approaching $20 billion a year. Today there is a growing list of wrinkle-reducing cosmetic products on the market and we have seen dramatic increases in plastic surgery as well as non-surgical treatments (such as Botox). (According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 13.1 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the U.S. in 2010, a 77 percent increase over a decade.)
One notable trend is the increased preference for less invasive procedures--such as wrinkle-smoothing Botox or Dysport--that enable patients to get back to work and social settings without a long leave of absence. They account for 5.4 million procedures, averaging about $400 per treatment. Other popular non-invasive procedures include soft-tissue facial fillers, chemical peels and microdermabrasion.
More invasive procedures come at a higher price. Face-lifts can run from $6,000 to $15,000, along with the serious disadvantages of the procedure such as pain, swelling, scarring, dissatisfaction, not to mention down time from work and the public while you heal. Of course there can also be more serious complications.
If you aren’t sure you want to deal with those, but would like to take a safer route to looking younger, read on.
Not only do “boomers” not think of themselves as old, they are facing the fact they are working longer and living longer. That means more competition for a limited number of jobs and issues related to quality of life.
Hence the strength of the booming anti-aging skincare industry. By some estimates, the U.S. market for cosmeceutical products — cosmetics with medicine-based ingredients — is approaching $20 billion a year. Today there is a growing list of wrinkle-reducing cosmetic products on the market and we have seen dramatic increases in plastic surgery as well as non-surgical treatments (such as Botox). (According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 13.1 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the U.S. in 2010, a 77 percent increase over a decade.)
One notable trend is the increased preference for less invasive procedures--such as wrinkle-smoothing Botox or Dysport--that enable patients to get back to work and social settings without a long leave of absence. They account for 5.4 million procedures, averaging about $400 per treatment. Other popular non-invasive procedures include soft-tissue facial fillers, chemical peels and microdermabrasion.
More invasive procedures come at a higher price. Face-lifts can run from $6,000 to $15,000, along with the serious disadvantages of the procedure such as pain, swelling, scarring, dissatisfaction, not to mention down time from work and the public while you heal. Of course there can also be more serious complications.
If you aren’t sure you want to deal with those, but would like to take a safer route to looking younger, read on.