Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub discusses the rising trend of younger patients seeking advice on facelifts, attributing it to, amongst other things, social media pressures. He emphasizes ethical practices and recommends less invasive treatments for younger individuals.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- At his annual lecture on facelifting, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub spoke about a concerning new trend: younger patients inquiring about facelifts. This trend, according to Dr. Weintraub, is due to increased exposure to social media and intensified pressure to look a certain way. "When you have AI influencers describing their beauty regimes, you know that things are getting out of hand!" Known for helping people look their best without sacrificing their individuality, Dr. Weintraub promotes a natural, understated, sophisticated aesthetic at his medical and surgical offices at 800A Fifth Avenue in New York City. "While younger patients are inquiring about facelifts," says Dr. Weintraub, "I am not seeing a trend in them getting facelifts – at least, not from me. Facelifts are appropriate for those who have sagging midfaces, hanging jowls, nasolabial folds (the lines from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth), marionette lines (the lines from the corners of the mouth to the jawline), as well as excess skin and fat of the neck. In essence, good facelift candidates are experiencing the normal gravitational descent of the brow, midface, jawline and neck. It would be very unusual for someone in their 30s to possess these anatomical issues, and I can count on one hand the number of patients in their 30s who suffered from these qualities to the extent that a facelift was warranted." Over the course of his celebrated career, Dr. Weintraub states that he has performed less than a handful of facelift surgeries on patients in their late 30s. "Patients in this age range benefit more from non-invasive treatments like lasers such as MOXI and Sciton, thread lifting, RF microneedling, Botox, and conservative use of fillers. By the way, conservative is the key word when discussing filler," adds Dr. Weintraub. "If it is not administered with a very light touch, patients can be made to look older rather than younger. I have taken scoops of filler out of patients' faces during facelifting surgery. It remains for many years and can clog the lymphatics, and creates a moon-shaped or pumpkin-like facial appearance. After a certain age, filler doesn't do anything but distort." Factors such as excess UV exposure, genetics, and smoking/vaping, can prematurely age people, but as described by Dr. Weintraub, such issues generally don't manifest until people are well into their 40s.
According to Dr. Weintraub, there is no "ideal" age for patients to have facelifts. "As people progress into their 40s, certain indicators begin to appear. The jawline can become obscured by jowling. The midface can begin to sag, causing nasolabial folds. But keep in mind that not everyone who has these characteristics needs a facelift. In fact, no one needs a facelift. Plastic surgery is a want, not a need." So, when is the right time for a facelift? Dr. Weintraub explains: "When someone looks in the mirror and doesn't like what they see, that is the right time to call a plastic surgeon. However, it is up to the surgeon to uphold proper medical ethics: it is important to say 'no' to surgery if the patient does not physically possess the issues that surgery addresses. However, for my patients who have signs of aging and are good candidates in terms of their physical and mental health, there is nothing like a facelift to turn back the clock." Dr. Weintraub is known for his hybrid facelifts, where different planes (or levels) are suspended at different tensions and in different directions, allowing for extremely natural results. He demonstrates this by the example of taking one's hands and pulling the cheeks toward the ears. This suspends all levels at the same tension, and the result, he says, "is not pleasant. However, by contrast, the lower level (deep plane) addresses the jowls and downturned corners of the mouth; the SMAS level repairs the hanging skin of the neck; the subcutaneous plane (the skin and underlying fat) gets resected near the cheekbones so patients look refreshed -- but never like they came out of a wind tunnel."
And what does Dr. Weintraub think of pre-juvenation – the term that describes the attempt to prevent signs of aging before they manifest? "One must be very careful when it comes to the concept of 'pre-juvenation.' The problem with this concept is that not all people age at the same rate, so how could one possibly know what to do when?" However, the one thing that all people should do, according to Dr. Weintraub, is to use sunscreen. "If there were only one beauty product or procedure that is unconditionally effective, it is a medical-grade sunscreen."
So what does Dr. Weintraub recommend for patients in their 20s and 30s? "Don't smoke or vape. Use sunscreen. If you see faint wrinkles beginning to develop such as crow's feet and the angry frowns between the brows, as well as the horizontal forehead lines, BOTOX® and other such neuromodulators are very effective. To help reverse the slowdown of collagen and elastin production that occurs in the late 20s, Sciton's Forever Young BBL (broad-band light) technology has been scientifically proven via a Stanford University study to reverse aging by rejuvenating skin cells at the molecular level." Most of all, stresses Dr. Weintraub, it's important to find a trustworthy plastic surgeon who will help to guide you through the occasionally disconcerting process of aging – someone who has your best interests at heart.
Media Contact
Web Promotion Partners for Dr. Barry Weintraub, Web Promotion Partners, 1 3213397072, [email protected]
SOURCE Dr. Barry Weintraub
Share this article