Facial Aging-Related Problems
Facial aging can result from a variety of causes. Some factors are intrinsic and uncontrollable; others are extrinsic and controllable to a certain degree. All human beings appear to age along a common progression; however, differences related to lifestyle, gender, and ethnicity can be seen. For example, it is noted that the Asian face ages with certain characteristics that are different from the Caucasian face. Similar comparisons can be noted among other ethnic groups. Furthermore, different ethnic groups may express cultural differences in their goals for aesthetic facial surgery, and these should be considered when planning procedures.
The apparent rate of biological aging varies among individuals. Intrinsic aspects of aging appear to be highly controlled by heredity and are not largely influenced by the individual. In contrast, extrinsic factors are heavily determined by a person’s habits, nutrition, and exposure to deleterious factors, such as ultraviolet light and cigarette smoking. Facial aging, for the individual, occurs with various accelerations and decelerations and does not appear to proceed at an even rate. What is apparent, however, is the commonality of progression across various ethnicities that enables certain generalities to be observed .
People either consciously or unconsciously assign an apparent age to themselves and others based on facial appearance. A person’s facial appearance is the visible declaration of the biological changes in the individual’s basic facial structures. Aging leads to sagging, alterations in texture, and changes in facial volume and the underlying skeleton, which affect the perception of age. Once these age-related changes have occurred, very few are reversible. However, they can be improved through makeup, cosmetic skin care, and cosmetic rejuvenative surgical and minimally invasive techniques.
