If you are an early baby boomer generation and now seeking cosmetic rejuvenation welcome to “silver surgery.”

The latest international statistics confirm a developing trend: Nearly one in 10 of those undergoing procedures are now over 61. Commonly, “Silver Surgery” involves eyelid procedures and other facial rejuvenation procedures which arrest the visible signs of impending maturity. However other requested options, include, Abdominoplasty Breast reduction and even rhinoplasty.

“I remember a grandmother who described pre-operatively how important it was to have her prominent ears pinned. After a very simple recovery she expressed great personal contentment.”

Some might wonder what is wrong with a few wrinkles, or even whether the silver generation have nothing better to spend their money on. Importantly patients in this age group have financial independence encouraged by changed community attitudes, more accessible procedures and higher awareness, due to commercialisation in the media.

The silver generation, the Over 60’s see it as their last chance to create a persona that may have been a long term desire.”

Age is now is not a barrier to many activities and the attitudes of a previous generation are no longer embraced. Whilst their parents wondered if they would survive a depression and world wars, financial independence and personal security means it is not just about covering up grey hair…cosmetic options are their life style decisions!

With an ever-ageing population and the 60’s being the new 50’s etc., cosmetic surgery for those in their later years is likely to become more commonplace.

Fortunately advances in anaesthesia and less invasive procedures make the medical decisions appropriate to the “Silver generations” requirements.

When starting to consder nasal surgery, having a broad outline of what to expect is a good start.

From this knowledge you build a more detailed examination of what to expect, your responsibilities and the understanding that comes with an agreement on the expected result.

At Jewel Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we feel it is important to guide our patients through this process.

This Check list can assist this process.

Shift your love handles Body lifts, are traditionally used to remove rolls of fat left when someone has lost lots of weight

This lift is about as invasive as plastic surgery gets and can involve a scar around your waist or bikini line.

So why have these procedures become popular?

As we loose significant weight the skin has only one way to go…. Saggy and down And people who have lost their elasticity of the skin are looking to make further improvements beyond their weight loss.

An alternative compromise is limiting the lift the areas of greatest concern. ie. an abdominoplasty or one of the thigh lifts.

Remake your bottom A lot of excitement is being generated about buttock implants - which involve having pear-shaped silicone gel implants or fat injections (using fat harvested and grafted from another area of your body) added to buttocks to make them rounder and more pert. It follows a South America trend where buttock implants and fat filling are popular

Tighten your “Tata” or “bingo arms” Loss of skin elasticity is a key driver for surgery because it is the only answer for problems such as saggy skin on upper arms - no amount of push-ups or firming creams are going to shift these. Surgeons have now in addition to the conventional liposuction procedure used to suck fat out of this area, can now combine liposuction with state-of-the-art arm lifts. These involve making a small incision in a patients’ arm, removing the fat via liposuction, pulling excess skin up towards the shoulder and closing the wound deep inside the armpit so it can’t be seen.

The process, currently all the rage in Mexico and Brazil and catching on in Europe, takes just 90 minutes, but the downside is the downtime: patients cannot lift their arms for up to five weeks after surgery.

Give you shapelier thighs While liposuction is still popular for ironing out saddlebags on thighs. Experimental procedures such as lipo-dissolve are as yet unproven .

If you considering cosmetic surgery, do plenty of research into the procedure you are interested in first, and to go to an plastic surgeon for treatment. The ASPS can help you find one; call 02 94379200 or visit ASPS

For the 2005–06 income year and later years, the law has been changed so that payments for the following items do not qualify for the net medical expenses tax offset:
• cosmetic operations for which a Medicare benefit is not payable, and
• dental services and treatment which is solely cosmetic.

Cosmetic operations

A cosmetic operation is one which beautifies or changes a person’s appearance.

Example 1 . Botox for wrinkles. These procedures are cosmetic and a Medicare benefit is not payable. These expenses are ineligible for the net medical expenses tax offset.

Example.2 Rhinoplasty - A cosmetic operation to remove a bump on her nose.
The expenses are ineligible for the net medical expenses tax offset.

However, if the operation to correct a breathing difficulty, a Medicare benefit would be payable. While the operation might still be cosmetic in nature, her expenses would be eligible for the net medical expenses tax offset.

Example 3 Breast surgery
Breast implants as a purely cosmetic procedure is not eligible.

Breast reduction is eligible if there is a Medicare item number and it is not purely for cosmetic purposes.

Reconstructive surgery following earlier surgery to remove breast cancer. A Medicare benefit is payable for the reconstructive surgery. The expenses are eligible for the net medical expenses tax offset.

What is the medical expenses tax offset?
The medical expenses tax offset may be available if you have out of pocket medical expenses over a specified limit in an income year.
For the 2004-05 income year, the tax offset is 20% - 20 cents in the dollar - of your net medical expenses over the $1,500 threshold amount. There is no upper limit to the amount you can claim.

from ATO web site Wednesday, 10 May 2006