Plastic surgery is not commonly associated with kids, but recent years have seen a rise in the number of teenagers opting for cosmetic operations that were once exclusive to adults. Sometimes the reason kids undergo plastic surgery is entirely understandable, such as when a child is injured in an accident, but other times the question becomes more complex when the purpose of the surgery becomes purely cosmetic. So what kind of operations are appropriate for the young, and how do you decide whether it can wait until adulthood?
These are just a few of the question’s we’ll explore with this guide to the good, the bad and the ugly of plastic surgery for kids.
High School Surgical
High school can be a tough time during a teenager’s life as they try to discover who they are while still trying to fit in and make friends. This makes the question of cosmetic surgery a tough one - on the one hand, you want to teach a child to be happy with who they are but sometimes certain pronounced facial features can make a teenager feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. For instance, acne scars, nose bumps and “dumbo” ears are all sources of anxiety for many teens that can be relatively easy to fix with cosmetic surgery.
In these cases, deciding on whether or not the operation is necessary depends on how adamantly the teen feels about it. Something like acne scars can be unsightly and embarrassing for a teenager and if it has been causing a good deal of anxiety, it’s completely understandable that they may want to try cosmetic surgery. However, other procedures such as liposuction are not only unsafe, but also undermine values such as eating healthy and exercising.
So before deciding on a procedure, it is important to be certain that your child isn’t compromising values for vanity.
Talking to your Teen
To make sure that your teenager is mature enough for cosmetic surgery, it’s important to open up communication about the subject. Make sure your teenager knows the potential risks, has realistic expectations and is doing it for the right reasons. Sometimes kids feel pressured to ask for cosmetic surgery because of teasing or insults instead of actually feeling the change is necessary. Make sure that this is something the teen sincerely wants for his or herself.
Similarly, making sure that the teen is realistic about what to expect for the results can prevent disappointment and depression. Teenagers can sometimes work up unrealistic expectations about how they will look post-operation. Talking to your teen about expectations before the operation will allow them to weigh the potential outcome with the risks of the surgery which will contribute to a much more informed decision.
While it’s important to always have open communication with your child, it is doubly so when considering a surgical procedure.
Common Procedures
Listed below are some of the most common cosmetic procedures for those under 18.
Rhinoplasty - Rhinoplasty involves any reshaping of the nose. The most common rhinoplasty is dorsal bone reduction, the straightening out of bumps on the nose. Though some people reshape the nose in other ways, such as reducing nostril width, most other procedures should wait until the child is over the age of 18 because of safety concerns, and most doctors won’t perform any rhinoplasty until a teen is at least 16.
Ostoplasty - This procedure involves pinning back extended ears, sometimes referred to as “dumbo” ears. And because this surgery is considered very safe and simple, children as young as 5 have been known to get it. Like rhinoplasty, it’s one of the most common cosmetic surgeries for youngsters and is fairly controversy-free.
Scar revision surgery - Though no scar can be eliminated completely, scar revision surgery can make them much less noticeable. In teenagers with severe acne, scarring can occur both by depressing the skin and thickening raised tissue. Because some of this scarring can become quite unsightly, scar revision surgery remains a viable option for teenagers who wish to reduce the damage caused by severe acne.
Breast asymmetry correction - This surgery is meant to correct assymetry in breast size, such as if one breast is larger than the other. The operation involves either reducing the size of one breast or enlarging the other. It is important to note that this is not breast enhancement, as you must be at least 18 years of age for most kinds of breast augmentation. However, in certain cases where there is a noticeable disproportionality in breast size, it can be a completely legitimate procedure to get.
Gynecomastia - Gynecomastia is a fairly common procedure for overweight teenage boys that involves reducing overly large male breasts. The enlargement of the male breast occurs due to abnormally large mammary glands in male teens. Though the problem is exacerbated by obesity, gynecomastia can occur in average size teens as well, though it is usually less severe.
Conclusion
Making that final decision to get cosmetic surgery for an adolescent is a complex issue and before jumping to a conclusion one should always consult with a doctor. But most importantly, the boy or girl receiving the surgery needs to be mature and knowledgable about the subject. Plastic surgery is not something to rush into - it should be carefully weighed by the parent, doctor and teenager together so that the final decision is an informed decision.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.
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