Let’s face it, the days of teens embracing their natural appearance, and flaunting it like some kind of postmodern rebellion, are not exactly common. And maybe they never will be. While most teenagers do not get cosmetic surgery, the numbers are trending upward. Certain segments of teen culture believe that the worse they look, the cooler they are, and the better they feel, but most teens just want to fit in.
Reasons for Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is the number one cosmetic surgery performed on teenagers. The reasons for this tend to be either physical (chronic pain, trouble breathing) or emotional (self-esteem issues). Both of these are definitely important to an adolescent, but perhaps the parents are only concerned about physical aspects. This might be the case if the child has breathing problems, such as allergies or a deviated septum, related to the way the nose naturally developed. Or perhaps the nose was broken playing sports or horsing around and breathing problems started after that.
Then there are the parents whose child has endured years of feeling ugly because of their nose. While the hormones in teens wreak havoc with their emotions, if they feel that their physical appearance makes them an outcast, then the parents caught in the maelstrom might feel the need to act. Feelings of depression and low self-esteem are obvious, but what about the kid who just can’t take being called names anymore and starts to fight?
In-between Cases
Take your average 14-year-old girl who likes to play field hockey. If she gets hit in the face, either with the ball or the stick, chances are her nose was part of the injury. If this girl breaks her nose, it will probably have the classic broken nose bump, or look crooked. Breathing problems might occur, but there is also the emotional side to it as well. This hypothetical teen might feel ugly because of the way she suddenly looks. What’s more, this teenage girl wants to do something about it.
A Moral Dilemma
Is it right for cosmetic surgeons to perform rhinoplasty on teenagers?
On the one hand, correcting or reshaping a nose to relieve breathing problems might be seen as noble. On the other hand, some might take issue with teens going in for what they see as some kind of vanity procedure – especially if the teen is being pulled into the doctor’s office by their mom or dad (in this case, the teen was just fine with the way their nose looked, but the parents thought it could be improved). Because cosmetic surgery changes the way people look, radically changing somebody’s face before they’ve even finished puberty is going to be an issue. Who’s to say that by the time the teen is in their early twenties they will be happy with their new face, or that they wouldn’t have been happy with their old one?
The same rules should apply for teens as they do for adults. While the parent should have some input, since teens are still dependents, their child shouldn’t be doing this just because they feel like it’s the only way to get on the cheerleading team. Also, is the improvement going to be functional (easier breathing) or aesthetic – or both? Should the teen wait until the summer before going off to college (in order to create a new and improved them?), or is it more important to get it done now?
These are questions families should discuss with the rhinoplasty surgeon. While the issue of rhinoplasty is probably easier to understand in connection with teens than some other procedures, such as breast augmentation, none of the issues are going to be black and white. Please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon if you feel your teenager would benefit from nose surgery, or if you would like to discuss these related issues.
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