It seems to me with the amazing techniques in plastic surgery, science is able to give people an arguably false sense of prolonged longevity.  An aging face can be re-moulded to be vibrant and youthful again.  The transformation of women (and men) who have their faces lifted is simply phenomenal. But something nags me.  

The participants who undergo the surgery may look younger, but does this apparent reversal of nature's aging process actually make people live any longer than they otherwise would? I find this a fascinating question. 

My initial gut answer is "no" - the aging process takes its course no matter how you look.  But, the more I think about it, the more I think the answer to the question might actually be "yes".  The quality of life starts with a person's view of himself.  The positive change in one's self-perception may in fact have a hugely positive effect in how well and therefore how long one lives.  So, yes, I believe looking younger actually makes people live longer.

That begs the question: for those of us who don't want to go through a face lift operation, can we convince ourselves that we actually look younger than what we see in the mirror, so that we too can hope to live longer?  Something tells me that the answer to this question is also, albeit more difficult, "yes". 

by John E. Tran