The Ageless Changes: A Natural Process We Can Slow Down

Eternal changes visit everyone and this is an inevitable process. According to Gintaras Pepečkys, the founder of „GP klinika“ and plastic surgeon, life goes in a cycle: birth-maturity-old age, this is a normal process that needs to be accepted naturally. If the changes that have occurred are annoying, it is not worth accepting them. „My goal is to restore what was as much as possible. I am not in a hurry with major surgical interventions, I try to apply new, gentler methods so that the result is as natural as possible,“ says G.Papečkys.

It is believed that cosmetic surgery can turn back time. Would you agree with this statement?

Of course, but it is worth emphasizing that cosmetic surgery rejuvenates not only on the outside. After the operation, a person feels youthful on the inside, self-confidence, happiness and energy appear. Although we often hear similar phrases: "Inside I feel like I'm twenty, although on the outside I look much older than I really am." Cosmetic surgery operations help to resolve this dualistic thinking.

People often talk about the eternal changes and the struggle against them. How would you describe the concept of „eternal changes“?

Aesthetic surgery can be divided into two groups: congenital defects that cause discomfort and permanent changes that occur over time, which are inevitable. Each age period is characterized by certain changes in the face and body. We all change, nature travels in a cycle: birth-maturity-old age. However, permanent changes should not be treated as old age, because certain changes are noticeable much earlier, which are corrected by aesthetic surgery.

When do the first eternal changes begin to appear?

It's very individual, but patients start to complain about the first permanent changes from the age of thirty. They are not yet very obvious, but the changes do occur.

If we look at photos of ourselves in our twenties and thirties, we would all see at least minimal changes. Sometimes those changes are even for the better, as is often the case when a person becomes more beautiful in later life.

Patients seek treatment for their first permanent changes in their thirties, but when do they visit a consultation when they already see obvious changes?

As I mentioned, up to the age of forty, patients come to us because of the first permanent changes, which are not very obvious. The most active age group of patients is from forty to fifty years old, when the changes are more noticeable. At forty, a turning point occurs in our appearance. I jokingly say that at this age, patients turn from girls into women.

What measures are being taken to combat permanent changes?

Over time, I realized that any intervention leaves its mark, so we do not resort to aggressive and radical changes for minor permanent changes that have occurred. I advocate for a minimal, but high-quality, aesthetic and long-lasting result. Previously, trends dictated completely different measures, but I am glad that times have changed, as has the attitude towards beauty itself.

What measures were previously taken to combat eternal change?

About fifteen years ago, cosmetic surgeons did not shy away from performing invasive procedures on women in their forties and even thirties. Endoscopic facelifts were performed, but the need for these procedures has clearly decreased. Although the tissues can be lifted quite effectively, the overall result does not meet the criteria of naturalness. Now there is a large selection of mini-invasive procedures, which have minimal incisions or no incisions at all. Of course, fillers play an important role, as they effectively correct the first age-related changes.

When correcting a patient's permanent changes, is it important for the surgeon to know what the person looked like before they appeared?

Of course, this is very important, because youth is the most beautiful stage of a person's life and it is an example of what should be strived for. I often ask patients to show me photos of their youth so that we can eliminate changes that are not satisfactory and have appeared with age.

When a client comes to you to remove specific permanent changes, do you specifically adjust them or do you tend to leave room for various suggestions?

I dream that a client would come to me for advice and consultation on how to look more beautiful. It is possible to blindly follow the patient's wishes and thus take responsibility, but I always offer to listen to my opinion about the changes in a specific situation and recommendations on how they should be adjusted and what to expect. I show patients the results of my work, a great example is Hollywood, so I do not hesitate to show the great changes of celebrities. However, it is important not to forget that the final decision is made by the patient. It is not for nothing that the motto of my work is - beauty is your choice.