Over the last few decades, the field of anti-aging has had a complete facelift. Dr. Mary Lynn Moran is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who has been practicing for over 30 years. Over the course of her career, she has witnessed scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as the explosion of the internet. It wasn’t long ago that fighting father time was reserved for the wealthy who sought relatively few practitioners who performed facelifts that would be considered unnatural looking by current standards. Fast forward to today when the anti-aging market is worth $63 billion and is expected to reach $107 billion by 2030. We sat down with Dr. Moran to get her perspective about the state of the world of facial rejuvenation.
Do you think the prevalence of cosmetic procedures on social media has been a positive or negative thing?
While there are many effective and safe ways to prevent and reverse aging, there are at least as many treatments that are ineffective or even harmful. Some of the information being shared is tremendously educational but there is also a lot of misinformation. Some of the trends posted on social media are very concerning, such as buccal fat removal, the cat eye thread lift, and lip lifts in young people. There are even some crazy feeds about “bonesmashing” to create a more chiseled jawline. Girls as young as eight (called Sephora Kids) are using potent anti-aging skincare which is irritating to young skin, not to mention unnecessary. As a result, when potential patients seek treatment for concerns about their appearance, I spend a lot of time reeducating and informing patients about various options and try to set realistic expectations.
What is the most common misconception that patients have about staying youthful?
I see a lot of confusion around the nature of noninvasive treatments and the role of nonsurgical versus surgical procedures. The public perception is that you can postpone surgery indefinitely with minimally invasive procedures. The proliferation of med-spas and the number of different types of practitioners performing cosmetic treatments has shifted the mindset about nonsurgical procedures. They are now seen as more similar to getting lash extensions than having a medical procedure with potentially significant risks. I am shocked at the number of patients who do not know the qualifications of the person who performed a laser on their face or what type of filler they had injected.
Do you think that nonsurgical procedures can replace surgery?
Nonsurgical procedures are amazing when used properly in the right setting by a qualified and licensed professional, but It is important to understand their limits and the potential for long-term consequences. Eventually, gravity wins and the only effective treatment is surgery. If a patient has had an abundance of facial fillers to create the appearance of a facelift, they can begin to look unnatural. Watch any episode of Real Housewives for a good example. Fortunately, fillers made of hyaluronic acid such as Restylane, Juvederm, and RHA can be dissolved with an enzyme. Synthetic biostimulatory fillers such as Sculptra, Radiesse, and Bellafil, however, cannot be easily dissolved and can complicate surgical procedures if they cause too much of a reaction.
Similarly, thread lifts can create scar tissue that causes the skin and underlying layers to be stuck to the underlying tissue. Treatments promoted as nonsurgical facelifts, like Ultherapy or FaceTime, that use energy to tighten the skin can cause similar issues. It is critical to let your surgeon know your entire history of non- or minimally invasive facial procedures so that they can anticipate and plan around any potential problems. Nothing is worse than encountering a mess of scar tissue in the middle of a facelift as a result of a treatment that the patient forgot to tell me about.
What exciting new treatments are on the horizon?
Some treatments that have been widely performed in other countries for years such as skin plumpers are finally approved in this country. As we age, we lose the ability to retain moisture in our skin which leads to a dry, dull, crepey appearance. These newer fillers can be injected into the most superficial layers of the skin creating a plumper smoother appearance. I have been loving exosomes as powerhouse messengers that tell the skin to repair itself and can be applied topically after microneedling or laser resurfacing. They have also shown promise in encouraging new hair growth in many patients. Ultimately, our understanding of how we age biologically at the cellular level is a result of a combination of our underlying genes and the environment in which we live.
This is the science of epigenetics which may well lead us closer to discovering the proverbial fountain of youth. Artificial Intelligence will inevitably assist in optimizing treatment for patients. Fortunately, as a surgeon, I think my job is still secure - for now!
MaryLynnMoranMD.com
Mary Lynn Moran, M.D. is certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology, specializing in head and neck surgery. Her professional memberships include the American Academy of Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). She comes from a family of seven physicians and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a surgeon. She was admitted to an accelerated six-year premed/medical school program at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and received her MD degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.
She then completed five years of head and neck surgery training in Boston at the Tufts and Boston University combined program. From there, she completed an additional fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery training.
As a double board-certified female facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Moran is committed to the art and science of her craft.
"While there are many effective and safe ways to prevent and reverse aging, there are at least as many treatments that are ineffective or even harmful."