Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Boomers can no longer blame forces of gravity for their crow's feet or "11's" between eyebrows.

Some people, like actress Julie Christie, don't seem to sag.

A study in June's "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery," the medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, found that the human face is made up of distinct fat compartments that individually change with age, and the degree to which one's countenance ages is dependent on how these compartments change over time.

"We thought facial fat was one confluent mass that eventually got weighed down by gravity, creating sagging skin," said Dr. Joel Pessa, lead author of the study. "However, we were shocked to find not only is the face made up of individual fat compartments, but these compartments gain and lose fat at different rates."

As individuals age, changes occur around the eyes, cheek, forehead and mouth due to volume loss and gains, and repositioning of these compartments. Those changes lead to signs of facial aging such as sagging or hollowed skin and wrinkles.

Dr. Bruce Cunningham, a professor of plastic surgery at the University of Minnesota, noted that geography also is a significant aging factor. For example, boomers in Florida or California may suffer more damage as a result of sun exposure.

What to do?
To combat the effects of facial aging and boost self esteem, many adults have been turning to wrinkle relaxers such as Botox and wrinkle fillers such as Restylane to combat the effects of facial aging. Use of these types of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures jumped 8 percent to more than 9.1 million procedures in 2006. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were Botox (4.1 million), chemical peel (1.1 million), laser hair removal (887,000), microdermabrasion (817,000), and hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane (778,000).

Compared to a face-lift, for example, "these less invasive procedures are less dramatic but can be done to buy more time," said James Bradley, a plastic surgeon and associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The new findings about facial aging also may benefit cancer and trauma patients who require reconstructive plastic surgery, as well as help plastic surgeons better understand facial deformities, such as cleft lips and vessel tumors.

"Much of facial anatomy remains a mystery," said. Dr. Press. "This discovery will undoubtedly play a role in how we view aging and how we approach facial reconstructive plastic surgery."