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Books/Facial Aesthetics: The Anatomy of Natural Results/Facial Aesthetic Strategy According to Aging Stage
Chapter 1610 min read

Facial Aesthetic Strategy According to Aging Stage

Facial aesthetic planning is based on the patient's "aging stage" rather than their chronological age. This section describes the aging stages (early, middle, advanced) and the specific approach for each stage.

Main ideas in this chapter

  • Aging is divided into 3 stages: early (30-45), middle (45-55), advanced (55+).
  • In the early stage, preventive + mild restorative; in the middle stage, active restorative; in the advanced stage, surgical ± restorative.
  • Incorrect intervention for the wrong stage is the biggest cause of patient dissatisfaction.

Early stage (30-45 years old)

Characteristics: dynamic lines become prominent, static lines are not yet present; slight volume loss has begun; skin quality has started to decline.

Strategy: preventive botox (relaxing dynamic muscles), light filler (especially tear trough + light cheekbones), skin booster, retinoid routine, 1-2 professional skin treatments per year.

Middle stage (45-55 years old)

Characteristics: static lines are prominent, volume loss is visible, jowls are starting, loss of skin elasticity, pigmentation.

Strategy: active filler program (cheekbones + jawline + tear trough), regular botox, thread lift may be considered, HIFU, RF microneedling, intensive skin booster and mesotherapy program, laser treatment for pigmentation.

Advanced stage (55+ years old)

Characteristics: significant sagging, severe loss of facial oval, platysmal bands, severe skin photodamage.

Strategy: surgical evaluation (SMAS lifting, blepharoplasty, regional lifting) should definitely be considered; non-surgical support (filler + Nefertiti + skin booster) is continued. Maintenance lasers for skin quality.

Clinical note:It is possible but limited to postpone surgery with aggressive fillers at the age of 55. The "filler face" appearance can be socially noticeable faster than surgery. Therefore, a surgical consultation before fillers at older ages would be an honest approach.