Published on 10 November 2026
Dr. Javier de Benito in Vanitas: ageing well while still looking like yourself
Vanitas magazine features an interview with Dr. Javier de Benito in its autumn 2026 issue (no. 78). The doctor explains that the goal is not to look younger, but to age well: to prevent, delay and gradually treat the signs of time in order to keep a harmonious, natural look. And he argues that these decisions should be guided by medical judgement, not by trends.
What does ageing well mean?
For Dr. de Benito, the ideal is to act before marked deterioration sets in. When treatment starts early, the changes are smaller, more gradual and much harder to notice. Patients are not trying to erase their age; they want to look rested and recognise themselves in the mirror.
What do genetics and lifestyle have to do with it?
Quite a lot. At Instituto de Benito we work with the Department of Genomic Medicine led by Dr. José I. Lao, creator of the HOLOGENOMA method. This method studies both the genome and the gut microbiome, that is, the person’s genetic information and the bacteria living in their gut. This gives a better understanding of how diet, environment and the immune system affect health and the way we age, so a plan can be designed for each patient.
What is skin that ages with dignity?
It is skin that looks healthy. It may have wrinkles, because they are a natural part of the years, but it keeps its glow, firmness and good appearance. In the interview, the doctor points out that we now know processes such as cellular senescence (the ageing of the cells themselves), chronic inflammation or poor mitochondrial function can be modulated with specific treatments. That is why aesthetic medicine is moving towards a preventive, regenerative and personalised approach.
What will skin care look like in the coming years?
Dr. de Benito talks about “biological maintenance”: caring for the skin before the signs of ageing appear and treating it as an organ to be kept healthy, not just as something to fix once there is already a problem.
How is this approach applied at Instituto de Benito?
At our clinics in Barcelona and Madrid, this philosophy translates into tissue stimulation treatments, care for skin quality and advanced facelift techniques when the patient needs them. The institute also trains surgeons from around the world in these techniques.
About Dr. Javier de Benito
A plastic surgeon with an international profile, vice president of ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and chosen by the publisher Taschen as one of the world’s ten “wizards of the scalpel”.
Interview published in Vanitas, no. 78, autumn 2026, p. 62 (in Spanish). Images: Vanitas.
