NEW YORK – Looking beautiful and fresh-faced is not just for the young anymore. Helen Powers is a fit model.

“A fit model is a perfect size that the fashion industry uses to make clothes salable and fit the customer’s body perfectly,” Power said.

Powers has always had a perfect figure, but when she turned 60, she started seeing unwanted changes in her face.

Powers is among a growing number of older women and men choosing plastic surgery.

Powers decided a facelift is for her, and Dr. Neil Gordon, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon of Yale School of Medicine, used a newer technique designed to give patients a more natural look.

“Today’s facelifts are done using an underneath layer that nobody sees. That’s why they are called deep place facelifts,” Gordon said.

The most common procedures for older patients include facelifts, eyelid surgery, liposuction, breast reduction and breast lifts.

“We’ve taken care of people well into their 80s,” Gordon said.

“I feel outwardly as I feel inside, youthful, refreshed, more confident, I don’t feel like a middle aged woman,” Powers said.

Now, she is finally looking on the outside, how she feels on the inside.

A recent study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that Americans spend more than $10 billion a year on plastic surgery. If you are considering it, make sure you do your homework. Research your doctor, ask questions, and check out his or her background. Also be sure to get references.