Face and eyelid lifts popular with baby boomers

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - More baby boomers eager to fight the onslaught of time are resorting to facelifts, eyelid surgery, Botox and fillers.

Those are the most popular anti-aging procedures, according to new figures from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS).

The number of facelifts performed in the United States by AACS members last year increased 44 percent from the year before. Blepharoplasty, or eyelid lifts, were up 42 percent, while the use of Botox climbed 157 percent and fillers soared 245 percent.

"The baby boomers are getting older but they still feel young and they want to look that way too," said Mark Berman, the president of AACS. "I think this might come as a surprise to the public when they see just how many baby boomers are trying to slow down the aging process."

Patients in their 50s tended to go for the more invasive procedures such as facelifts, while those in their mid-40s opted for Botox and fillers.

Overall, liposuction was the most commonly offered invasive surgery. Forehead lift and abdominoplasty, rounded out the top five most popular procedures, which the AACS said haven't changed since 2008.

Women far surpassed men in opting for cosmetic procedures, with 15 million choosing to try to hold back time last year, compared to 2.5 million men, according to the poll 1,643 member of the AACS.

Facelifts were also the most expensive procedure with the mean cost about $7,032, compared to $6,845 for abdominoplasty and $6,532 for breast reduction surgery.

Among less invasive procedures fat injections were the priciest at $2,225 with laser resurfacing at $2,221 and fillers, which cost about $708, not far behind.

FAT AND STEM CELLS

"Today in cosmetic surgery there is a big push to restoring volume and doing things more naturally. I'm seeing a lot more people dive into the cosmetic surgery pool in as much as it is not just pulling the skin tighter," Berman explained in an interview.

"Now, the new trend is to do three-dimensional lifting, putting volume with fat fillers or implants. If you can do it safely and naturally there are a lot of people out there interested in maintaining their youthful appearance."

Rather than the taut pulled back look of earlier facelifts, Berman said facelifts will involve with smaller incisions and less pulling to alleviate the loss of fat volume and elasticity that occurs with age.

"The trend is to be less invasive but to still get a big bang for your buck and to try to make you look like you used to, not to make you look like somebody different," he added.

There is a similar emphasis in eyelid surgery with some cosmetic surgeons adding volume back to the brow and the cheek instead of cutting out excessive skin.

But Berman thinks that the future of cosmetic surgery will involve more use of fat and stem cells.

"We understand that fat can be transplanted. It is rich in stem cells and that is what is missing from an aging face."

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Paul Casciato)