In today’s world, anti-aging awareness is on everyone’s mind. I prefer to actually call this awareness “conscious aging.” We all know that once the first signs of aging appear, the process seems to progress quickly. In order to tackle the inevitability of aging in an aesthetically natural and beauty and wellness oriented manner, we must first understand how our faces change through time.

To begin with, let’s keep it simple and compare your face to the fabric on a chair: you first notice a small stain, which can be lightened to appear invisible. Over time that stain becomes more prominent and others appear around it, making the fabric seem even more stained. Then, one day, you notice the fabric isn’t as firm as it used to be, having lost its elasticity in some areas. Upon further inspection, your once plump and cushioned chair has become saggy and sunken, exposing parts of the chair’s skeleton. And then one day, you attempt to sit on your chair and the sturdy framework that lent you faithful support all of those years, finally gives in and crumbles.

This is very similar to what happens to the face. The chair’s fabric is your skin, revealing the earliest evidence of discoloration. The plump cushion is like your youthful cheeks, which are made up of all the underlying muscles and fat. And, the framework, which holds it all together, is similar to your facial skeleton. These seemingly minimal changes in your framework are often masked through time by the superficial cushioning of your facial muscles and fat pads, until redistribution and loss of tissues reveal a frail structure. Lastly, it is important to understand the implications of facial bone loss on the aging face in order to restore a natural youthful appearance. The facial skeleton experiences morphological changes and an overall decrease in volume with increasing age. As we approach our early 30s, bone density begins to undergo a gradual rate of decline. The aging process happens simultaneously. The facial muscles and fat pads decrease in volume, while the skin that holds them together loses its elasticity, culminating in a true spiraling domino effect. From the top down, your temples appear more hollow, upper eyelids begin to sag, the cheeks begin to lose volume, heavy fatty deposits become more prominent beneath your eyes, followed by folds around your mouth (laugh lines), which weigh down the corners of your lips, and jowls begin to form along your jawline and a heavier, saggy neck arises.

If your goal is to age gracefully, and have a “less is more” approach, quick fixes are never the solution! Rather, starting earlier with a board-certified Plastic Surgeon will always yield the best results. A slow and steady planned approach involves maintenance through skin care with regular use of SPF and antioxidants, periodic laser treatments, fillers and neuromodulators. All help support the aging process in a natural, progressive, age appropriate and conscious manner.

Dr. Tamy M. Faierman is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, writer, beauty and wellness expert, and founder of the Tamy M. Faierman Holistic Spa and Wellness Center. Her office is located at 17130 Royal Palm Boulevard, Suite 1, in the Windmill Professional Campus. For more information, please call 954-322-2742 or visit www.reshapeyourimage.com.

Originally published in Our City Weston | November 2019