“Glammas” are the new grandmas and “glampas,” the new grandpas. And cosmetic surgeons should be ready for more of these people in their 60s and 70s, who are glamourous, youthful and photo-shoot ready, according to 2017 predictions by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).
Dr. WilliamsEdwin Williams, M.D., a facial plastic and reconstruction surgeon who practices in Albany, N.Y., and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, says he is seeing the glammas and glampas trend.
“I think it’s the result of Facetime with grandchildren. They’re more motivated by grandchildren, than by occupation,” says Dr. Williams, who is the AAFPRS immediate past president.
While the 50-something-year-old businessman or woman might be more likely to seek cosmetic surgery to stay competitive in the workforce, the 60-and-older set is often motivated not by their peers or even children, but, rather, their grandchildren, according to Dr. Williams.
The comments only kids can make, like, “Grandpa, you look tired,” Or “Grandma, why do you look sad?” are one factor.
“There was a guy in my office about three months ago. He was 73. You just wouldn’t expect a 73-year-old guy to come in and want his eyes done, right?” Dr. Williams says. “He said my grandson said to me, ‘You look sad all the time, Pappy.’”
Other factors fueling the trend are social media. Pictures on Facebook and smartphones show every sign of aging. Attitudes about cosmetic surgery have also changed. Twenty years ago, 70-year-olds really didn’t really think about cosmetic surgery. It wasn’t mainstream. But now it is, Dr. Williams says.
Add to those factors that people are living longer and healthier and you have what is a clear trend, according to Dr. Williams: Glammas and glampas are coming in for surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.
“There are a lot of times you can use nonsurgical options to treat certain areas, but, clearly, if someone has a big, heavy neck, and they’re more a candidate for a facelift, that’s not something you can treat nonsurgically. Or, if someone’s got a lot of heavy tissue under the nec … you can’t really do much with CoolSculpting [Zeltiq] or Kybella [Allergan] because you have to treat the hanging soft tissue and that’s more of a lifting procedure,” he says.
NEXT: Grateful Glammas, Glampas
Grateful Glammas, Glampas
The good news for the surgeons who treat these patients, according to Dr. Williams, is the 60-and-older crowd seems to be reasonable lot — grateful for the improvements they get from today’s options.
“There’s a difference between a guy who is 73 and has these big bags and you see a nice improvement. They don’t expect to have 20-year-old eyes. They’re more accepting patients,” Dr. Williams says.
Patients 65 and older make up 7.5% of total surgical cosmetic procedures and 10.7% of nonsurgical procedures, according to 2015 American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) statistics. The most popular nonsurgical procedures in the oldest age group are botulinum toxin injections, hyaluronic acid filler treatments and chemical peels. Eyelid surgery is the top pick on the surgical side, followed by facelifts and liposuction, according to ASAPS.
Disclosure: Dr. Williams reports no relevant disclosures.
