Does approaching 40, set off an alarm bell in your mind? Do you feel pressurized to look young and fresh? In a culture where youthful looks mean so much, people over 40 want to take a dip in the fountain of youth and defy the aging process. And cosmetic surgery has proved to be the new fountain of youth, with a range of procedures that can make you look a decade younger or more.

Men and women are paying huge amounts and undergoing major cosmetic surgeries to reverse the effects of aging. More than 60% of women over the age of 40 are dreading getting older and plan to do everything possible they can to reverse it. If you’re over 40 and considering cosmetic surgery, the risk is greater than it would have been at 20. Many cosmetic surgery patients are in their late 50’s and early 60’s. This concerns some psychologists.

The process of aging, especially when one is approaching their sixties, already entails some significant emotional shifts and now those approaching over-the-hill age have an even harder time adjusting to aging because of the new ideals. According to psychologists, patients who are more discontented with their age, opt for more risky and drastic surgeries.

This is disturbing for two reasons: one because the decision to have cosmetic surgery should be made from a stance of moderation and the least drastic way to improve one’s natural appearance - not add to it artificially; and two, the aging process will never stop, so as these discontented individuals are dealing with their natural aging process through surgery, the only way to keep up with aging is through continued and repeated surgery.

So it’s advisable that if you’re approaching middle age and are considering plastic surgery, you may want to have a good talk with yourself. If you’re electing to have surgery because you are unhappy with your body’s aging process, know that it will never cure this. It’s better to opt for moderate cosmetic surgery – surgery that your body can cope with because you don’t want to end up with irreversible complications.