Elizabeth O'Brien's Retire Well: The new retirement splurge: Plastic surgery

Some boomers undergo cosmetic procedures to stay competitive on the job. Plenty of others wait until the rat race is over, and view a nip and a tuck as the ultimate reward in retirement. But does it make sense, financially or medically, to get some work done after youre done with work?

Those 55 and over accounted for a quarter of all cosmetic-procedure patients in 2013, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The total number of cosmetic procedures performed on this groupincluding minimally invasive treatments such as facial fillers as well as more involved surgeriesrose 4% from 2012 to 2013, to 3.8 million.

The five most common cosmetic surgical procedures in the 55-plus demographic, in descending order, were: face-lift, forehead lift, ear reshaping, hair transplantation and pectoral implants. (Among all ages, nose reshaping was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in 2013.)

People over 50 go under the knife for all sorts of reasons, plastic surgeons report. While some are seeking a boost before re-entering the dating scene, some happily married or happily single patients want their looks to better reflect the way they feel, while others want their clothes to fit better. The common thread? They finally have some time to focus on themselves, especially if theyve retired, said Dr. Larry Fan, the founder of 77 Plastic Surgery in San Francisco.

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Mature patients have additional considerations to weigh before they get work done. Their ability to bounce back from surgeryand cosmetic surgery is indeed surgery, despite the misperception that its somehow less intensive since its elective and aestheticmight have declined somewhat with age, Fan said.

Those who have stopped pulling a salary must also consider the impact that an elective cosmetic procedure will have on their nest egg. Older patients should be particular wary of taking on debt, financial advisers say. But for those with the resources, paying for surgery now might lead to savings in the long run: For example, a $15,000 face-lift might prove more economical and more effective than years worth of Botox and facial fillers.

The biggest cost issue, of course, is that health insurance generally doesnt cover cosmetic procedures. Those considering gastric bypass surgery might save money getting that done when theyre still covered by a comprehensive, employer-sponsored health plan. But those considering a tummy tuck, which isnt a treatment for obesity, will have to pay the full cost regardless of when they have it done.

Dr. Michael Apa, an aesthetic dentist in New York City, sees many patients after they have worn down their bodiesand their teethduring their careers. When they stop working, he said, they go into overdrive tending to their neglected health. Once they reach retirement, thats when they finally jump in and get everything done, he said. Among other procedures, Apa performs a smile lift that rebuilds and repositions teeth to better support the sagging skin of the face.

John Bukovac came to Apa after selling the hotel that he owned and managed in Ontario, Canada. During the height of his career in construction development and hotel management, he worked 12- to 14-hour days, seven days a week. He neglected visits to the doctor and the dentist, both for routine care and to repair some crowns and bridgework.

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Elizabeth O'Brien's Retire Well: The new retirement splurge: Plastic surgery