When Should Aesthetic Interventions be Initiated?

Question:

At what point in the aging process should aesthetic interventions be initiated?

Answer:

As we learn more about the long, slow process that is aging, perhaps the most sophisticated way to treat the aging face would be to initiate treatment when only the professional eye of the physician can see aging-associated changes. The face loses a little volume across the entire face as aging progresses, so why not replace a little volume as soon as possible after it is lost rather than waiting until all the changes associated with aging have taken their toll? Doesn't a stitch in time save nine? In addition, because loss of integrity in one tissue influences loss of integrity in another tissue, it is possible that fixing a few small things early might slow down the aging process to some degree. I think there is a lot to be gained by starting interventions earlier.

-Response from Rebecca Fitzgerald, MD; Clinical Instructor, University of California Los Angeles