Teenagers and Plastic Surgery: A Brief Glimpse

 All around the world, teenagers face the same angst and turmoil over how they look and their own personal confidence. Many teenage girls are plagued by teasing about their looks and they watch their own mother's struggle with body image and todays standards of beauty. Without the confidence to find the beauty within, thousands of teenage girls are turning to cosmetic surgery to "fix" what they feel is wrong about their face and bodies. Commonly, young women as young as 14 or 15 are getting nose jobs, breast augmentation, chemical peels and other cosmetic surgery procedures. Teenage boys are also getting more and more cosmetic procedures like liposuction, nose jobs, treatment for gynecomastia and other reconstructive procedures. In all cases under the age of 18, their parents must give consent, and in fact, plastic surgery is becoming a popular high school graduation gift or reward for accomplishing a goal. Americans may assume this is a phenomenon in the US alone, but plastic surgery is incredibly popular in Australia, Japan and Korea and the BBC reported in 2005 that 4 out of 10 teenage girls want plastic surgery in Britain.

There are absolutely appropriate reasons for a young person to get cosmetic surgery. Common procedures on your people include the following:

· Ostopolasty - A procedure in which ears which protrude significantly from the head are surgically "pinned" back making them less noticeable. This procedure is often done for young children any time after the age of five.
· Breast Asymmetry Correction - Many young women experience unequal breast development and those with the most evident cases may want to see augmentation of the lesser developed breast in order to achieve symmetry.
· Breast Reduction - Some young women develop breasts that may be too large for their frame and cause physical problems with their back, shoulders and even impede breathing. These young women will often seek a breast reduction to improve their overall health and self confidence.
· Acne Treatment - There are cosmetic surgery procedures that specifically target the skin, including chemical peels, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion and laser procedures that can reduce redness and acne scarring on the face. In many instances, these procedures will be coupled with prescription medications and strict protocol for cleansing and diet.
· Gynecomastia Treatment - Young men sometimes develop breast tissue, for a variety of reasons, and although some cases will reduce themselves, some require surgical correction.
· Reconstructive Operations - Obviously if a young person is disfigured in any way or has a physiological problem that must be addressed surgically, any reconstructive or cosmetic surgery necessary to restore normal function and appearance is acceptable.

In many of these instances, families can secure partial or complete insurance coverage for the procedure and the health benefits, not to mention the emotional benefits, outweigh the risks of surgery. Additionally, in many of these cases, parents are very involved in the emotional implications before and after the surgery and can help guide their child through the event.

When a young person wants to undergo plastic surgery to attain a face or body that more typically aligns with the standards of beauty of society, many things must be considered. Every teenager is bombarded with plastic surgery from television shows like I Want a Famous Face on MTV, to The Swan, to Extreme Makeover, to Dr. 90210. Although these shows reveal the graphic and painful nature of cosmetic surgery procedures, they typically show more positive results than negative, making the surgery seem well worth the risks. It is incredibly important for parents and teenagers to truly weigh the pros and cons before they move forward.

First, organizations like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have outlined specific criteria that a teenager must meet in order to be eligible for plastic surgery.

1. The surgery must be at the behest of the teenager. Not only does the teenager need to initiate the request, it must be something they have thought about and spoken of for a long period of time. They also must have parental consent if they are under 18 and they need to be able to articulate why they want the surgery to the doctor.
2. The teenager must be realistic about the outcome of the surgery. No one can look just like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt because of bone structure and genetics. No surgery will make a teenager "perfect" and in some cases, the results may be very different from what the teenager had ultimately envisioned.
3. The teenager must demonstrate a high level of maturity and level headedness. Not only will they have to deal with the pain and short term disfigurement of the surgery, they need to be able to deal with a rapid change to their body or face and there may be emotional repercussions. If a teenager is prone to depression or mood swings, plastic surgery is not recommended until the underlying emotional issues have been addressed.

Before a parent and teenager embark on this kind of exploration though, it should be considered why a teenager wants to undergo permanent cosmetic surgery. What is the underlying reason for their personal and physical discomfort with themselves? Why do they want to change? What do they think the change will bring? A parent must explore these questions and consider the image they are projecting to their child and what their child is going through, emotionally and physically, that is prompting them to go to such an extreme degree for change.

This is not to say that cosmetic surgery is inappropriate for all teenagers, or that a young woman should not get a breast augmentation or that a young man should not get a nose job. In many cases, the lifelong benefits of increased self confidence and the improvement of things like clothing fitting better can really have a positive emotional impact on any person, especially a young man or woman. In fact, the improved confidence may help them to achieve their goals faster, and increase their confidence across their lives. Cosmetic surgery is sometimes the missing puzzle piece that can help a teenager overcome obstacles and be a happier person.

The key to making a decision like this is to ensure that it is being done for the right reason and that the teenager involved understands the short term and long term risks associated with cosmetic surgery. Although the surgery may seem like a quick fix to them, and they may put blinders on as to the downsides, it is critical for a parent or guardian to find a way to communicate those risks, with the help of their doctor, to help everyone make the right decision.

Blair Stephens is an accomplished freelance writer and proud member of the Jewell Cosmetic Surgery Practice team. She has written articles about plastic surgery, aesthetic enhancements and more. Peter L. Dixon is a renowned and gifted cosmetic surgeon based in Melbourne, Australia. He and his team use the newest technology and techniques to ensure their patients get the results they want!