Gen X has embraced facelifts at a young age

Plastic surgeons say Gen Xers aren't waiting until the "right age" to address facial aging. At an average age of 53, many Gen Xers are starting to see jowls, a fuller lower face and drooping upper eyelids – among other signs of aging – and they're taking action early to restore their youthful looks.

"I think the Gen Xers are coming in a little bit younger than the Baby Boomers did," said Tiffany McCormack, MD.

A generation taking charge of aging

Their parents tended to wait until their 60s and beyond for a facelift, but plastic surgeons see Gen Xers get facelifts earlier in life.

"I think the Gen Xers come in at age 48 or 50 because they want to stay ahead of the curve," said Dr. McCormack.

Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980, and at this point in their lives, they are an accomplished generation. Many have reached success in their careers, stepped into leadership roles and mentored the next generation. They have raised children, supported aging parents and built strong communities.

Some have also started businesses, accumulated wealth, prioritized financial security and even transitioned into early retirement.

Why Gen Xers opt for facelifts sooner

Most Gen Xers still feel vibrant and want to look that way, too, even though they are now considered middle-aged. Yet, the internal image of their ideal self might not be what they see in the mirror, on video or in pictures.

"We are in a visual-centric society now more than ever," said Andrew Rosenthal, MD. "We all have cameras in our pockets."

Being on camera often might drive Gen X to get facelifts at a relatively young age because of what Dr. Rosenthal called the "Zoom boom" – when people started working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking at themselves on screen for an extended period, he said, "moved the needle" on people getting facial cosmetic work done to "look" more like how they "feel."

Are facelifts common for younger patients?

ASPS Member Surgeons reported seeing younger Gen Xers in their practices, but according to the 2023 ASPS Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, approximately 80 percent of people who got a facelift recently were 55 or older. Still, facelifts for younger patients rose 3 percent during the previous year, making up almost 20 percent of the facelifts that ASPS surgeons performed.

The data suggests that many Gen Xers tend to address signs of facial aging sooner than their parents' generation.

"I think they feel no shame in wanting to look good and take care of themselves," said Dr. McCormack. "I think they're less modest about that and more proactive."

Plastic surgeons will tell you there is no magic age to get a facelift. Some people are 60 before they show enough signs of facial aging. Yet, some people in their mid-40s can benefit from a facelift.

The rate at which the face ages depends on individual genetics, plus lifestyle factors like sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, stress, sleep and weight fluctuations.

The popularity of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic is driving some Gen Xers to seek a facelift after massive weight loss. The facial skin laxity they experience after rapid weight loss can be so pronounced that it requires trimming away excess skin, which can only be removed with a facelift.

Facelifts vs minimally invasive treatments

Still, the majority of Gen Xers have not had facelifts. Many are instead embracing minimally invasive modalities, including lasers, microneedling and neuromodulators like Botox, to improve their skin quality and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. They might also rely on radiofrequency devices like Morpheus8 to tighten their skin and facial fillers to restore lost facial volume.

These nonsurgical treatments can slow the signs of aging for many years, but they have limitations, according to Dr. Rosenthal. He said there comes a point when minimally invasive modalities cannot fully counter the effects of the downward pull of gravity. Nor can they entirely compensate for changes in the bones of the skull that contribute to facial aging.

Injecting filler into the cheekbones can help compensate for the volume loss that comes with aging. Yet, there comes a time when an injector needs to use so much filler to hold up the cheeks that patients risk getting overfilled and looking unnatural. Instead, Gen X should consider getting those tissues repositioned with a facelift, and not just inflated with filler.

"Nothing can replace a facelift," said Dr. Rosenthal. "You can keep stuff up, but it actually raises awareness for the facelift."

Dr. Rosenthal said a facelift can produce more natural-looking results than overly relying on minimally invasive modalities, like injectable fillers, for too long.

What a facelift involves

Facelifts and neck lifts are cosmetic surgery procedures that create a more youthful, refreshed appearance and can turn back the clock a decade or more. Plastic surgeons typically perform a facelift and neck lift together because addressing them during the same surgery can avoid an unbalanced look where the face looks younger than the neck.

Facelifts and neck lifts can include other procedures to address signs of aging, such as laser resurfacing to improve the skin, upper and lower eyelifts and lip lifts.

If necessary, a plastic surgeon can liposuction the jawline and neck to remove excess fat, which they can transfer to the cheekbones, under the eyes and temples to restore a youthful appearance and compensate for the natural fat loss that people experience as they age.

During a facelift, the surgeon makes incisions along the hairline and ear, repositions and lifts deeper facial tissues (the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, or SMAS, layer) to restore youthful contours, trim excess skin and tighten the underlying muscles.

SMAS facelift: The SMAS is a fibrous layer of tissue and muscle beneath the skin. This facelift lifts and tightens this layer to improve the cheeks, jowls and jawline.

Deep plane facelift: This procedure goes deeper than the SMAS facelift, lifting the SMAS and the deeper ligaments and muscles of the face. The surgeon dissects beneath the SMAS layer and releases key facial ligaments. The surgeon repositions the entire muscle-fat-fascia unit, rather than pulling the SMAS separately.

Why modern facelifts look so natural

Older facelift techniques pulled the superficial layers of skin and tended to leave the patient looking wind-blown and unnatural, which may have turned many people off facelifts.

"Gen X has seen their parents go through weird facelifts where they got pulled too tight because we didn't have these other modalities," said Dr. Rosenthal.

Fortunately, the SMAS and deep plane techniques are an improvement over older methods and can leave you looking natural afterward.

How long does a facelift last?

Even the best facelift results, however, don't last forever. Most plastic surgeons recommend getting an additional facelift approximately every decade because the face ages normally after the operation.

"I tell patients that they're resetting their clock by doing this now," said Dr. McCormack. "In 10 years, they'll continue to age, but they'll look better having done it."

Gen X is redefining aging their way

Gen Xers are not waiting until their 60s for the inevitable aging process to fully take hold before they do something about it. Instead, they're taking control of their facial aging on their terms and getting facelifts younger than the generations before them.

Plastic surgeons are using modern facelift techniques that deliver more natural results than ever, so many Gen Xers look as youthful and vibrant on the outside as they feel on the inside.

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.