Ever felt unhappy with your image growing up as a teenager? Wanted bigger lips, a straighter nose, larger breasts? It seems that more and more minors are undergoing plastic surgery to correct their "inadequacies"; 205,119 operations were done on kids and teenagers 18 and younger, compared to 59,890 in 1997. Raised in a society with a constant bombardment of "the perfect image" by celebrities and models, It's hard not to imagine young girls might feel pressures about their appearance, but to be spurred to go under the knife at such a young age? It's more a reality now than ever before.
Kristen got breast implants as a graduation gift. Julia Marks' mother looked into plastic surgery for her daughter's nose when she was 6. Female self-esteem is as low as ever, but I feel plastic surgery is way out of line for people who can't even vote yet. You can diet, you can exercise, you can put on makeup, but getting yourself sliced up too far for girls whose bodies are still developing and might not understand the repercussions. Plastic surgery isn't just a one-time fix, followup procedures are often needed, and things might not go according to plan.
The motives are remarkably different. Adults get surgery "for that 'wow' factor," to pick up guys, whatever. Kids get surgery so they can feel normal when looking at their fellow classmates. Adults get plastic surgery to be different; kids get plastic surgery to be the same.
Proponents cite childhood bullying, eating disorders, and self-mutilation as things surgery can solve, but I don't think kids should give in. Talk to a counselor, get professional help, talk to your teacher, these are all options. And where are the parents in this? They need to teach self-acceptance instead of fulfilling their child's wildest whims. "You don't get self-esteem from a scalpel," says Dr. D'Amico.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/fashion/15skin.html?pagewanted=1&ref=health
I apologize for the title, I couldn't help it :)
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In a perfect world we would all be happy with our physical appearances and accepting of others who might look different. However, this is not the case, and instead of striving to attain this perfect world, we have chosen to strive for physical perfection. We have given up on making society accept us for who we are, and as a result we are being forced into changing ourselves so that we can be accepted. As a child your ultimate goal is to fit in amongst your peers, and as a parent all you want is for your child to be happy. For adolescents with crooked noses, big ears, flat chests (specifically female adolescents), bucked teeth or any other physical trait that can be deemed unattractive, high school can be really hard due to teasing and bullying. This can in turn lead to a variety of psychological issues ranging from anorexia, poor performance in school to self-mutilation and suicide. If it is morally acceptable for children to get braces to fix their bucked teeth, why is it wrong for them to undergo cosmetic surgery? Yes, cosmetic surgery is more dangerous but it can have life-changing effects on an adolescent’s life. Cosmetic surgery can increase confidence and self-esteem allowing them to do things they would otherwise have never done, it can empower them to reach their full potential. Both parents and their children know the risks of choosing to have cosmetic surgery, and as autonomous individuals they have all the right to do so.
The questions that should be addressed are what should the procedure for having cosmetic surgery be and where should we place the limits? Every adolescent should be required to go for some form of counselling prior to having cosmetic surgery. However, although counselling can help individuals accept themselves for who they are, it does not stop the teasing or bullying, therefore it would be unrealistic to believe that counselling will convince adolescents not to have cosmetic surgery. Secondly cosmetic surgery should only be allowed for aspects that an individual cannot change themselves such as a crooked nose. However surgeries such a liposuction should not be allowed because a healthy diet and exercise can produce the same effects therefore there is no need to undergo surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is adolescents is now a common occurrence in the United States of America, and although it is sad that society has brought us to this point, it is now irreversible. If an adolescent believes they will have a better shot at happiness if they pin back their ears, then let them try.
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