In addition to decreased elasticity, Dr. Liotta says that hormone shifts in menopause can also cause skin to thin, cartilage to soften, and facial bones to deteriorate. “Collagen loss causes the eyebrows to droop and the upper and lower eyelids to become looser and more wrinkled. The decrease in elasticity can also cause the fat under the eyes to emerge, accentuating under-eye bags. And the loss of facial bone causes loss of soft tissue, leading to jowls, deepening of the nasolabial folds, and a less defined jawline,” she explains.
To address these changes, Dr. Liotta that women often opt for procedures such as eyelid surgery to tighten loose eyelids, chin implants to address bone loss in the jaw and tighten the skin there, and even rhinoplasties (nose jobs) and earlobe lifts to correct the loss of cartilage that once made good shape noses or earlobes may become floppy.
“You’ve probably heard people say that your nose and ears continue to grow with age. But that’s not really true. What happens is a combination of the skin thinning and loosening, and the cartilage that used to give angularity and refinement to your nose or ears suddenly softens and spreads. The result is a drooping earlobe or a nose that flattens and widens when you smile,” says Dr. Liotta, who has called this procedure a “nose lift or nose rejuvenation rhinoplasty” and says it turns into one. of its most popular operations. “This week I performed this type of rhinoplasty on three menopausal women and next week I have two more.”
In her Beverly Hills office, Kimberly Lee, MDa board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, says she also sees some “women in their 40s and 50s seeking eyelid surgery,” but these patients are looking for natural results, while others may not know that. I had something done. They are not looking for results without wrinkles, just fewer wrinkles.â€
Dr. Liotta adds, “I like to call these menopausal makeover procedures ‘moving the furniture, not knocking down the walls.’
That’s not to say that some women in their 40s and 50s never get a facelift. But generally, these younger patients undergo a (somewhat euphemistically termed) “mini lift” or “baby lift.” ‘These terms are a bit of a misnomer, because a facelift is still a facelift. Even if you don’t remove as much skin as a 65 year old, or if you mainly just tighten the bottom of the face. But in younger patients, this is usually a smaller operation, so in that sense I think it’s a “mini,” says Dr. Liotta.
