Wrinkles make it hard to judge emotions

As if looking old wasn't bad enough, a new study finds that people have a difficult time reading the emotions of individuals with wrinkly faces.  At Penn State University, researchers asked study participants to rate the faces in 64 photos based on the emotions they perceived in the images. On average, pictures depicting older adults were rated as more angry or sad compared to the photos of younger people, despite the fact that every face photographed showed neutral emotions, reports LiveScience.

This is not the first study to examine the link between wrinkles and emotional perception. A previous study conducted at Berlin's Humboldt University found that younger people had a hard time judging the faces of older adults, and often perceived them to have more "mixed emotions" than similar images of younger people.

This study goes to show that people who seek out plastic surgery procedures such as facelifts or Botox injections aren't doing so simply out of vanity. There are real issues associated with early signs of aging. Researchers pointed out that the issue underscored in this most recent study could put older adults at a disadvantage at the doctor's office, for instance, as medical practitioners may falsely assume that seniors are experiencing sadness or depression.

Fortunately, as a cosmetic surgeon in Florida, an region where many older citizens live, I am happy to assure that there are many treatments to help treat wrinkles on the face and neck, While facelifts may be the most well-known, others may choose to target the skin hanging down under the chin by undergoing a neck lift. Botox injections can treat wrinkles before they begin to form, while facial fillers can add volume and fill in deep creases around the eyes, mouth and forehead.