Often, the motivation behind cosmetic surgery is a desire to look younger. A new study examined just how far you can roll back the clock by going under the knife.
According to ABC News, the study found that patients who underwent plastic surgery looked an average of about 9 years younger following the surgery. Raters compared before-and-after images of patients who had undergone facial cosmetic surgery in order to estimate the number of years the surgery took off their appearance.
According to University of Toronto researchers, more extensive facial procedures typically produced the most drastic results in terms of lowering the estimated age of patients. Patients who underwent multiple procedures also experienced a greater difference between their estimated ages before and after surgery. The full results of the study have been published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Julius Few, who founded Chicago's Few Institute for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Chicago, said the findings confirm what he's seen with his own patients. He told ABC News "I believe it is a study that adds objective confirmation to what was already known to be associated with facial rejuvenation surgery." Dr. Garry Brody, a University of Southern California professor of plastic surgery, said patients should still be realistic about the potential effects of surgery. He reminds patients that "Inappropriate motivation and unrealistic expectations will spoil any such surgery."
