Teens and Cosmetic Surgery – Introduction

When most people think back to how they looked as teenagers, there is a strong possibility they will cringe. Past hairstyles and clothing choices are more than enough to make some want to burn every picture taken of them before age 18. While bad dye jobs and hairstyles are temporary, and clothing fads come and go, there are other aspects of growing up that are a bit more permanent.

What about cases of acne, or being told your nose is too big, your neck too long, or your chin is weak? Having the kind of acne that leaves you hiding from your peers – and possibly your family – or wearing a stocking cap to cover your ears might seem like an overreaction to those who didn’t seem to have any problems.

However, if you ever feigned illness to keep from going to school, kept your head down, grew out your hair so no one could see your face, or acted out (because if you think you look ugly, you might as well act ugly, too, right?), then you probably also wished you could speed ahead into adulthood. Physical blemishes might fade, or you might grow into your body a bit more, leaving that gawky younger you in the dust.

Is Media Perfection Valid?

We’re told being a teenager is a “special time” or these years build character. And yet, things don’t seem to be getting any easier. Teens have probably always felt they needed to look as good as possible every single day, but the media seems to influence this more than it used to. As a result, more and more young people are turning to cosmetic surgery to help them through the psychological minefield of being a teenager. These changes seem the easy answer to society’s insistence on looking as close to perfect as possible.

In 2006, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons listed the top cosmetic surgery procedures performed on teenagers, 13 to 19 years old:

• • Rhinoplasty

• • Male breast reduction

• • Otoplasty

• • Liposuction

• • Dermabrasion

It might seem surprising that these are the top five, but it gives us a snapshot of what teenagers are concerned about with regard to their appearance. There were over 90,000 cosmetic surgery procedures performed on teens in 2006. This doesn’t take into account the minimally invasive procedures like BOTOX® or using injectable fillers.

Are Teens Too Young for Cosmetic Surgery?

The issue of teenagers deciding on cosmetic surgery – and of the cosmetic surgeons performing it – is controversial. When do teens decide that cosmetic surgery is the answer, and why? Should cosmetic surgeons even perform these procedures on this age group, or should adolescents be off-limits? These are questions that will be explored off and on here in future blogs, focusing as much on the positive side of cosmetic surgery as the more questionable aspects. Until then, keep your chin up and remember that only you should decide what you want to look like.