Teens Misunderstanding of the Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery

In the article entitled "Teens Under the Knife" written by Kaitlyn Ali and Tiffany Lam readers are informed on the possible risks that are exposed to teens who have cosmetic surgery. Ali and Lam state, "There are many risks in plastic surgery, such as permanent numbness, infections, blood clots, and even death" (par. 9). The developing bodies of teens are still changing which could lead to altering the effects or future displacement of the surgical procedure. The article states, "Because teens ' bodies are still developing, what [teens] change now may not look the same in a year. What feels like a big nose at 11 might be perfect once the face is done growing. With surgery, it could end up looking worse later" (par. 9). This article helps identify that plastic surgery can potentially cause even more emotional and physical damage to teenage patients in the future. In order to fix this problem, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery should strengthen the guidelines for evaluating teenagers by requiring all potential cosmetic surgery patients that are under the age of 18 to be screened by professional psychiatrists and medical doctors to ensure physical and mental stability before proceeding with the desired surgical process. This is necessary because cosmetic procedures can interfere with the growth cycle of the developing body and the emotional state of teenagers which can cause serious health complications and possibly more surgical procedures in the future.

Cosmetic surgery is a method of bringing confidence to teens who lack self-value and self-worth. If the parent/guardian of the teenager is accepting of the teen’s request and the teen has all the right reasons, why not let them? Bullying has been an issue among kids about the way they look for decades. “In a screened survey 752 teenagers were surveyed to find out how many kids were being bullied. Out of those 752 teens, 139 admitted to being bullied and 146 were bullies. 294 of the 752 teen’s were both victims and bullies and 173 were not involved in and harmful activities.” Dr. Wolke says in Targeted News Service, "Our results suggest that cosmetic surgeons should screen candidates for psychological vulnerability and history of bullying," this can be very beneficial to know if the patient has had any history that could motivate their desire to change their appearance. Common changes among teens have been things such as nose jobs, lip fillers, eyelash extensions, and braces (Dr. Wolke).

In 2012, over 236,000 teenagers from the ages of 13-19 years old, went "under the syringe" to have a cosmetic procedure done (Gilbert, Web). Teenagers should never be able to have cosmetic surgeries because of the harmful effects the procedures have. Teenage minds and bodies are not fully developed until they are in their early twenties. Therefore, doctors are unable to fully comprehend the risks these procedures will have on the teenagers, since their bodies are still changing. Cosmetic surgeries are nearly impossible to predict the health risks of and the affects they will have on the still developing bodies of teenagers. Teenagers who get a cosmetic procedure done are not having it done to

Besides Photoshop, plastic surgery is a permanent way to change any physical characteristic. There are things one can change, without having to go through any knife or injection— the way they dress, hairstyles, and working out. When it comes to our image plastic surgery has provided an easy yet dangerous solution to fix what one considers their imperfection/ flaw. It is not only adults; teens are also getting cosmetic surgery which only is deteriorating the youth. Stated in the article Pretty Unreal, “Last year in the United States, more than 300,000 teens are 18 or younger had some sort of cosmetic surgery done” (Mehta, Sparling. 288). An increasing number of teens are getting cosmetic procedures done; plastic surgery has become common with in different age groups and families. Personally in my family I know many teens and adults that have gotten plastic surgery, liposuction, nose jobs, to butt jobs. I believe that teens my age should not be worrying about getting procedures done because there are many risks involved. Adolescence is taken away due to constantly worrying about physical image.

Did you know more than 16 billion dollars was spent on Cosmetic Surgery in 2016? (ASPS 2017) Throughout the many decades, cosmetic surgery had become widely known method to enhance an appearance. In recent years, this procedure has become prominent not only among adults but also among adolescents however, popularity does not mean it is safe and the best option. There are numerous negative effects of cosmetic surgery that people, especially adolescents should consider before undergoing such procedures. Some negative effects of cosmetic surgery are high expenses, high medical risks, promotion of unhealthy body image and adverse psychological conditions.

Surgery for teenagers isn’t new at all. In the year of 2005, there was a survey online that found out 2,000 teenagers were 40% female at least considered plastic surgery in their life once or twice, but by the year 2012 the percent was unaffected by the scandal over the PIP breast implants.(Martinson)

Elective cosmetic surgery claims to enhance outward appearances. However, elective cosmetic surgery could be a consequential death wish for young adults. Cosmetic surgery is a well-used procedure that the society conforms to fixing certain physical characteristics. Most of the time, people get cosmetic surgery for medical purposes. If the person is medically well, there is no reason to consider cosmetic surgery. Young adults are still transitioning into the real world. They should focus working towards their career. More importantly, young adults should refrain from elective cosmetic surgery.

Imagine your kid coming home crying everyday because they have been bullied, a survey has found that increasing numbers of bullied teenagers want to have cosmetic surgery. More than half of the teenagers who responded, felt they had been bullied about their appearance and that they should get cosmetic surgery. I think that teenagers shouldn't get cosmetic surgery, unless they have some type of face deformity .

To these teens that think that plastic surgery is the “quick fix” to everything, they will never be satisfied with themselves. Teens that feel this way do not need plastic surgery to make them better, they need professional help, like therapist. Plastic surgery will not solve their problems.

Famous actress and model Patricia Heaton once said “Plastic surgery is like the big elephant in the Hollywood living room,” (Brainy Quotes). For celebrities, a plastic surgery operation is just another trip to the doctor’s office. After all, in this day and age, image is everything. We see this in high profile professions, and in large cities across the country. However, recently in Beverly Hills, California, girls as young as 16 are getting nose-jobs as a “Right of Passage” to fit in. This is a trend that has moved beyond the big city, and with 250,000 teens getting cosmetic surgery a year, it’s becoming all too normal. Bullying, media, and just plain vanity are causing children and teens everywhere to go under

Plastic Surgery is a controversial topic nowadays. Some men and women believe that plastic surgery is a great chance to have finally the body, face, and even romantic life always dreamed about. In the U.S. the plastic surgery television shows have made these ideas more popular and common than ever. Some men and women have other reasons for want plastic surgery Such as people who want plastic surgery have disfigurements to the face or body because of birth defects or genetic problems. The rise in plastic surgery in U.S. is a bad sign for future. Plastic surgery is not always a good thing for everyone. Cosmetic surgery should be prohibited for teenagers and people having psychological problems.

Before I did the research on this topic, I assumed teens that were having cosmetic surgery were getting breast implants and liposuction. I never considered cosmetic surgery for reconstructive purposes. There are teens that need plastic surgery to correct deformities. I think that teens that have a poor body image should not be allowed to use cosmetic surgery as a quick fix. Teens and parents need to

There was an interview conducted by SteadyHealth.com and Dr. Howard T. Bellin last year. In this interview many different questions were asked about self esteem and the appropriate age for plastic surgery. Dr. Bellin believes that a person’s self esteem can benefit significantly from plastic surgery. One of the major surgeries that he does would be the rhinoplasty. He does this operation on teens. There is a general debate about what age is appropriate to let your child have plastic surgery. Sometimes parents believe that their child may be too young or perhaps too immature to engage in surgeries that seem to be for adults only. Plastic surgery can fix some problems but is not a “cure”. Cosmetic procedures are becoming much more common among teens now a day and are helping them through everyday life and help them fit in. There will always be a debate on this situation but it is important to look out

“The most popular cosmetic procedures for teenagers are ear surgery, with 11,288 procedures last year; nose surgery with 10,308; and breast reductions with 3,698.” Google defines plastic surgery as “the process of reconstructing or repairing parts of the body, especially by the transfer of tissue, either in the treatment of injury or for cosmetic reasons.” A study revealed that 40% of teens considered getting cosmetic surgery and approximately 200,000 teens admitted to having some kind of surgery done. Also, research proves that rhinoplasty can be one of the most common surgeries given as high school and college graduation gifts for students. When parents reward students with surgeries, it comes to show just how little the parents know about the effects of plastic surgery on the teen. Perhaps, the majority of the time when teens want these surgeries, it is due to self-esteem issues caused by bullying and the social media definition of beauty. Social media has brought an increase in bullying by transferring it from hallways and classrooms, to social sites like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Even after the surgeries are done, it has been proven that most cosmetic surgery patients come out of surgery either feeling the same or worse about their new appearance. Nevertheless, teens should think twice before getting cosmetic surgeries considering it can affect their growth and development, surgeries are permanent and very costly, and even afterwards it is not a guarantee that

Cosmetic surgery started to be the new trend once Kylie Jenner got lip fillers. Many parents were outraged with the fact that she got lip fillers at the age of 17, but the only reason why she got them done was because of heat of social media making fun of her about how her Liz are nonexistent and that seems to be the main problem to why girls are driven to getting cosmetic surgery in the first place. Little girls that are only 15 asking for breast implants is way out of context. Young girls aren’t fully developed until the age of 21, I would say. Teen girls getting cosmetic surgery when they’re body isn’t fully developed, causes problems as they way grow up because their puberty is still in action. They’re