With age, the skin’s natural collagen and elastin production gradually slows, leading to a loss of firmness and youthful resilience. By our 50s and beyond, the visible effects of time—such as sun exposure, gravity, and lifestyle factors—become more apparent. While aging is a natural and beautiful journey, many people seek cosmetic treatments at this stage to revive the youthful vitality they feel inside.

Fortunately, there are many effective anti-aging cosmetic procedures available today that can help you age gracefully while maintaining a more refreshed and youthful appearance. Whether you’re looking to smooth out wrinkles, lift sagging skin, or enhance the natural contours of your face, there are a variety of treatments designed specifically to address the signs of aging that become more prominent in your 50s and beyond.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best anti-aging cosmetic procedures for people in their 50s and older, including both surgical and non-surgical options. From facelifts to injectables, laser treatments, and skin tightening procedures, there’s a solution for everyone looking to rejuvenate their appearance.

1. Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

One of the most well-known and effective anti-aging procedures is the facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy. This surgical procedure is ideal for addressing moderate to severe signs of aging, such as sagging skin, deep wrinkles, and loss of facial volume. As we age, gravity takes a toll on the skin and underlying facial muscles, leading to jowls, sagging cheeks, and loose skin around the neck.

What Does a Facelift Do?

A facelift targets the lower two-thirds of the face and is designed to lift and tighten the skin and underlying tissues. During the procedure, the surgeon repositions the deeper facial muscles, removes excess skin, and smooths out wrinkles and folds. This results in a more youthful, refreshed appearance, with improvements in areas such as:

• Sagging cheeks
• Deep nasolabial folds (smile lines)
• Jowls along the jawline
• Loose skin around the neck

Why we recommend facelifts: 

A facelift is often recommended for people in their 50s and older because it addresses the more advanced signs of aging that may not respond well to non-surgical treatments. It provides long-lasting results—typically 10 years or more—and can make you look significantly younger without looking “overdone.”

Many patients also choose to combine a facelift with complementary procedures such as a neck lift, brow lift, or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) to achieve more comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

2. Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

The delicate skin around the eyes is one of the first areas to show signs of aging, with drooping eyelids, puffiness, and under-eye bags becoming more noticeable in your 50s. Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a surgical procedure that can rejuvenate the upper and lower eyelids, making the eyes look more open, alert, and youthful.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

Upper blepharoplasty removes excess skin and fat from the upper eyelids, correcting drooping or hooded eyelids that can create a tired or aged appearance. In some cases, upper eyelid surgery can even improve vision if the sagging skin obstructs the line of sight.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

Lower blepharoplasty targets under-eye bags and puffiness by removing or repositioning excess fat and tightening the skin. This smooths out the under-eye area and reduces the appearance of dark circles or hollowing.

Why we recommend eyelid surgery:

Eyelid surgery is one of the most effective ways to rejuvenate the eye area and is especially beneficial for people in their 50s and beyond. Since the eyes are a central feature of the face, improving this area can have a dramatic impact on your overall appearance, making you look well-rested and refreshed.

3. Dermal Fillers

As we age, we naturally lose fat and volume in our face, leading to sagging skin, hollowed cheeks, and deep wrinkles. Dermal fillers are an excellent non-surgical option for restoring lost volume and smoothing wrinkles. These injectable treatments can be used to add fullness to the cheeks, lips, and under-eye area, as well as soften deep folds around the mouth.

Common Areas Treated with Fillers

• Cheeks Loss of volume in the mid-face can make the cheeks look sunken.
• Lips: As we age, the lips can lose fullness. Fillers can restore volume for a more youthful pout.

Why we recommend filler:

Fillers are a minimally invasive way to combat the loss of volume that naturally occurs in the face as we age. For people in their 50s and beyond, fillers offer a quick and effective way to restore youthful contours without surgery. Results are visible immediately and can last anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the type of filler used.

4. Botox

Botox (or other neuromodulators like Dysport and Xeomin) remains one of the most popular non-surgical anti-aging treatments for people in their 50s and beyond. Botox works by temporarily relaxing the facial muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles, such as frown lines, crow’s feet, and forehead creases.

What Botox Treats

• Forehead lines: Horizontal lines across the forehead that become more pronounced with age.
• Crow’s feet: Fine lines around the outer corners of the eyes caused by squinting and smiling.
• Frown lines: Vertical lines between the eyebrows that form when we furrow our brows.

Why we recommend Botox

In your 50s, dynamic wrinkles (those caused by facial expressions) often become more noticeable. Botox is ideal for smoothing out these lines and preventing them from deepening over time. It’s a non-invasive, quick treatment with no downtime, making it an excellent option for maintaining a youthful appearance without the need for surgery.

5. CO2 Laser Resurfacing

For those dealing with more advanced signs of aging—such as deep wrinkles, sun damage, and uneven skin tone—CO2 laser resurfacing is one of the most powerful and effective skin rejuvenation treatments available. This procedure uses fractional CO2 laser technology to remove the outer layers of damaged skin, while stimulating collagen production in the deeper layers.

Benefits of CO2 Laser Resurfacing

• Smoothing deep wrinkles: CO2 lasers are particularly effective at reducing the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles.
• Reducing sun damage: CO2 lasers can treat age spots, sun spots, and other pigmentation issues caused by sun exposure.
• Improving skin texture: The laser helps to resurface the skin, resulting in smoother, more even skin tone and texture.
• Tightening loose skin: The stimulation of collagen production helps tighten and firm sagging skin.

Why we recommend CO2 treatments:

CO2 laser resurfacing is ideal for people in their 50s and beyond who are experiencing more significant signs of aging that cannot be fully addressed with less intensive treatments. The results are long-lasting, and patients typically see dramatic improvements in the texture, tone, and firmness of their skin.

6. Neck Lift

While a facelift addresses sagging in the lower face, many people in their 50s and beyond also experience significant aging in the neck area. A neck lift is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and tightens the muscles in the neck to eliminate jowls, sagging skin, and “turkey neck.”

What a Neck Lift Does

• Removes excess skin and fat in the neck and under the chin.
• Tightens the neck muscles to create a firmer, smoother appearance.
• Restores a more youthful jawline and neck contour.

Why we recommend neck lifts: 

As we age, the skin on the neck often loses elasticity, leading to sagging that can be difficult to hide. A neck lift is an excellent procedure for people in their 50s and older who want to address loose skin and restore a more youthful, defined neck and jawline.

7. Skin Rejuvenation Treatments: Microneedling, Chemical Peels, and IPL

For those looking to refresh their skin and combat signs of aging without surgery, treatments like microneedling, chemical peels, and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy offer effective solutions. These non-invasive procedures work by stimulating collagen production, resurfacing the skin, and addressing concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and uneven skin tone.

Microneedling

Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, uses tiny, fine needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, prompting the body to produce more collagen and elastin. The result is firmer, smoother skin with improved texture and reduced wrinkles. This treatment is especially effective for addressing fine lines, acne scars, and even stretch marks.

Benefits of Microneedling:

• Stimulates collagen production for firmer, more youthful skin.
• Improves skin texture and minimizes fine lines.
• Helps reduce the appearance of acne scars and hyperpigmentation.
• Little to no downtime, with results that improve over several months.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels involve applying a chemical solution to the skin to remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells, revealing smoother, brighter, and younger-looking skin underneath. Peels come in various strengths, from light to deep, depending on the desired results and skin concerns. They are particularly effective for treating sun damage, uneven skin tone, and fine lines.

Benefits of Chemical Peels:

• Exfoliates the skin, improving texture and tone.
• Reduces the appearance of sun spots, age spots, and hyperpigmentation.
• Minimizes fine lines and wrinkles.
• Stimulates cell turnover for long-lasting skin rejuvenation.

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Therapy

IPL therapy uses broad-spectrum light to target pigment in the skin, making it highly effective for treating age spots, sun spots, broken capillaries, and other forms of hyperpigmentation. IPL also stimulates collagen production, improving skin texture and reducing fine lines over time. It’s a versatile treatment that can address a variety of skin concerns in a non-invasive manner.

Benefits of IPL:

• Reduces the appearance of pigmentation issues like sun spots and freckles.
• Improves skin texture and reduces redness.
• Stimulates collagen production for smoother, firmer skin.
• Minimal downtime with gradual, natural-looking improvements.

Microneedling, chemical peels, and IPL therapy are ideal for people in their 50s and older who want to rejuvenate their skin without the need for surgery. These treatments can help maintain skin elasticity, reduce signs of aging, and improve overall skin tone and texture. They’re perfect for those looking for a subtle, natural-looking enhancement with little to no downtime, allowing you to maintain youthful, glowing skin as you age gracefully.

8. Brow Lift

A brow lift, also known as a forehead lift, is a surgical procedure that rejuvenates the upper portion of the face by raising sagging eyebrows, smoothing forehead wrinkles, and reducing frown lines between the brows. As we age, the skin and muscles of the forehead can droop, causing a tired or angry expression, even when we’re feeling rested or content. A brow lift corrects this by repositioning the eyebrows and smoothing out deep lines, giving the face a more refreshed, youthful appearance.

Benefits of a Brow Lift:

• Lifts and repositions sagging brows: Restores a more youthful, open appearance to the eyes and forehead.
• Smooths forehead wrinkles and frown lines: Reduces the deep lines across the forehead and between the brows for a more relaxed expression.
• Improves facial harmony: Balances the upper portion of the face with the lower face and eyes, often enhancing the results of other cosmetic procedures like eyelid surgery.

Types of Brow Lifts:

• Endoscopic Brow Lift: A minimally invasive technique that uses small incisions and a camera to lift the forehead and reposition the brows.
• Coronal Brow Lift: A traditional approach that involves a longer incision across the scalp, allowing for more dramatic lifting and contouring of the forehead.
• Temporal Brow Lift: Focuses on lifting the outer part of the eyebrows for a more subtle but noticeable improvement in brow position.

Why we recommend brow lifts: 

As the skin loses elasticity and gravity takes its toll, a drooping brow can create an older, more fatigued look. For people in their 50s and older, a brow lift is an excellent option for rejuvenating the upper face, softening lines, and restoring a more youthful expression. It’s often combined with other anti-aging procedures such as a facelift or eyelid surgery for comprehensive facial rejuvenation. The results are long-lasting and can make a significant difference in creating a naturally refreshed appearance.

9. Fat Grafting

Fat grafting, also known as fat transfer, is a versatile cosmetic procedure that uses your body’s own fat to restore volume and improve the contours of the face or body. As we age, we naturally lose fat in key areas of the face and body, leading to a hollow, sunken, or less youthful appearance. Fat grafting involves harvesting fat from areas with excess (such as the abdomen or thighs), purifying it, and then injecting it into areas that need more fullness and definition, such as the cheeks, lips, or even the hands.

Benefits of Fat Grafting:

• Natural Results: Since fat grafting uses your own fat, the results look and feel more natural than synthetic fillers or implants.
• Restores Lost Volume: It can effectively restore volume to hollowed cheeks, under-eye areas, lips, and temples, giving the face a more youthful, plump appearance.
• Improves Body Contours: Fat grafting can also be used for body contouring, such as enhancing the breasts or buttocks without the need for implants.
• Long-Lasting Results: Unlike temporary fillers, fat grafting provides long-lasting results, as the transferred fat cells become integrated into the target area.

Areas Commonly Treated with Fat Grafting:

• Face: Restores volume to hollow cheeks, under-eye hollows, and nasolabial folds (laugh lines).
• Lips: Adds natural-looking fullness to the lips.
• Breasts: Can enhance breast volume or correct asymmetry without the use of implants.
• Hands: Restores volume to aging hands, reducing the appearance of veins and tendons.

Why we recommend fat grafting:

As we age, volume loss in the face and body becomes more pronounced, leading to a gaunt or hollow look. Fat grafting is an ideal option for people in their 50s and beyond because it provides a natural way to restore lost volume and enhance youthful contours. In addition, the procedure uses your own body fat, reducing the risk of allergic reactions or complications. Whether you’re looking to rejuvenate the face, enhance the hands, or contour the body, fat grafting offers a safe, long-lasting, and natural-looking solution for age-related volume loss.

Embrace Aging with Confidence

Aging is a natural process, but it’s possible to embrace it while still looking and feeling your best. Whether you’re interested in surgical procedures like a facelift or neck lift, or non-surgical options like Botox, fillers, and laser resurfacing, there are plenty of anti-aging treatments available to help you maintain a refreshed and youthful appearance well into your 50s and beyond.

Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist is the best way to determine which treatments are right for you based on your individual needs and aesthetic goals. With the right combination of procedures, you can confidently face the years ahead with a vibrant and rejuvenated look.

Our award-winning, board-certified plastic surgeons specialize in an extensive range of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. Book a consultation today at our Flagstaff, Sedona, Cottonwood, Prescott, or Kingman, Arizona offices.

Author Profile: Brian Cripe, M.D., is an award-winning, board-eligible plastic and reconstructive surgeon and Plastic Surgeons of Northern Arizona partner. Dr. Cripe specializes in cosmetic surgery, limb salvage, peripheral nerve microsurgery, hand surgery, and oncologic reconstructive procedures. He has performed over 6,000 surgical cases during his nine-year tenure as a surgeon.