What the girls want to do for their 16th birthday nowadays? About 15 years ago they asked for a new dress, shoes; now they want breast enlargements. The problem of plastic surgeries being performed on minors is really controversial. Should adolescents be able to get what they want before they reach maturity or not? Young teen’s these days are influenced by the pressure of media and their parent’s actions, not thinking about their health, and becoming too eager to change their appearance. There may be many reasons for that problem.
About 10 years ago plastic surgery was something that only wealthy people might afford. The present day situation has changed dramatically and the demand is huge. In the 1990’s routine liposuction cost no less than $7,000, now the price of it as low as $700 (Di Carlo 2). Men and women are fighting for their looks in every way possible even if plastic surgery can harm their health. It does not matter how small the operation might be, no medical intervention is safe, and there is always a chance something goes wrong.
Cosmetic fairy tales in the U. S.are spreading through the minds of a nation. The magazines and TV are show pictures of celebrities with perfect bodies, perfect hair, and perfect appearance; that is the main idea of society nowadays. Those kinds of message people are getting each day from mass media. According to an American Society of Plastic Surgeon’s survey, about 60, 000 of respondents do not like their noses, 30,000 do not like their chins, 6,000 do not like their ears and another 6,000 do not like their eyes (ASPS 1). In 2011 in the United States about 11. 2 million plastic surgeries were performed.
These include liposuctions, nose reshaping, breast implants, eyelid surgeries and buttocks implants(ASPS 1). Obviously those operations are cosmetically associated, but originally plastic surgeries were invented for people who suffer from damaging birth defects or accidents that are truly in need of that medical attention. Therefore, the surgical and medical cosmetic industry should reserve benefits for those who require it for health purposes. There are many risks in plastic surgery, such as permanent numbness, infections, blood clots, and even death (Espejo 27).
There are many numbers of cases where plastic surgery patients die during these operations. One of these is novelist Olivia Goldsmith who wanted to appear younger than she raged and went to a famous Manhattan Hospital for her chin tuck and during the operation her heart failed after going under the anesthesia (DiCarlo 1). Those cases are rarely seen in public because nobody wants to show their flaws, so there are only the happy cases shown in mass media and our minors are there to believe.
The ASPS reported that between the years of 2002 and 2003, the number of teens who get their breasts enlarged and get liposuctions done tripled from 3,900 to 11,300. Many of them received the surgery as a gift for their high school graduation from their parents (Espejo 61). Some doctors are worry that plastic surgery on teens’ developing bodies can be dangerous. In Australia and Germany, lawmakers are considering banning all, but necessary plastic surgery for anyone under 18 (Espejo 29). In a documentary “Taboo” showed on TV discussed two cases of plastic surgeries that saved kids’ lives.
In the first case there was a boy, whose mole had grown so big that by the age of six it covered his entire back like a turtle’s shell, earning him a nickname of Turtle Boy. His life was severely affected by the growth, covering more than half of his body circumference and the painful itchiness along with lowered self confidence was constantly disturbing. A British surgeon performed an operation on the Didier mole and it took him more than 6 hours. It was a dangerous, complicated and needed. The boy is feeling fine and happier than ever like his mother.
Another case of life saving and obviously needed plastic surgery performed is on a toddler girl from India her name is Lakshmi, who was born with 8 limbs. She underwent a serious operation which took 27 hours and about 30 surgeons to literally save her life, which they did. Now she is a four years old, attending school and running around with her friends. Needless to say that before the operation, she could not bear to sit, stand or walk. Of course those are extreme cases and children are being put in danger, but for a good reason.
These children are happier now because they can “be like others”. They can attend school and would not be bullied; they would be healthy and ready for future life. Plastic surgeries can be a brilliant life saver for those who really need it. Many plastic surgeons say that cosmetic surgeries are not just about improving appearance when it goes to minors. They think that the surgery can improve teenager’s self esteem too. Teens take imperfection very seriously; it might affect what they think of themselves and their behavior.
They can be bullied or teased if they have a big nose or protruding ears; this can cause isolation and even depression, but cosmetic surgery might change the teenager’s quality of life (Dittmann 1). Studies do show that teenagers naturally begin to feel better about their appearance as they progress through adolescence. Some simply get used to features that they once found bothersome; for others, those features actually may change. Skeletal maturity may occur around age 14 to 16, but bodies continue to mature. Girls frequently gain weight and boys grow more muscular.
Unfortunately, patience is not a teenager’s stronger suit and the wait can be agonizing, affecting how they see their place in this world (Kaytlin 1). Teens’ ideas of what they want can change quickly-day to day, sometimes hour to hour. Often surgery might be a result of pressure from friends or a boyfriend or girlfriend. It also shouldn’t be something they do because parents want them to. It’s essential for them to understand what plastic surgery can and do not to do for them. A nose job might eliminate a bump and liposuction might slim the figure, but these procedures won’t eliminate problems in their lives.
Adults and teenagers seeking cosmetic surgery should first be screened for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. For them, surgery will not be enough to help them achieve what they perceive as perfection. Both males and females suffering from this disorder are so preoccupied with the way they look, they become fixated on minor flaws in their appearance, losing all perspective. Their focus goes beyond typical teenage concerns and becomes something of an obsession, interfering with their ability to carry out day-to-day routines and causing emotional distress.
Teenagers with the disorder may be unable to concentrate on their schoolwork, or they might choose to avoid social situations like parties or dates (Dittmann 3). The psychological research published in 2004 found that people who hold unrealistic expectations about plastic surgeries are more likely to be dissatisfied with their results, especially those who had a history of anxiety disorders and depressions. Dissatisfied with surgery, a patient might request another surgery or would experience depression and social isolation, family problems, self-destructive behavior, adjustment problems and anger toward the surgeon and his team.
According to Dr. Darshan Shan, a Mayo Clinic-trained board certified surgeon, clinical educator in plastic surgery, and three-time winner of the prestigious “Best of Bakersfield” award for cosmetic procedures, if a patient would put himself in the hands of a qualified, certified cosmetic surgery specialist it guarantees a minimal risk during the surgery, but in experience and the misrepresentation of a surgeon is the real risk. He advises patients do the research by themselves first, even before they would meet the surgeon to check for any history of malpractice (Espejo 23).
Also it’s essential to go through a medical exam and make sure to follow all doctors’ orders. Parents who make their children go under the knife at such a young age have to understand that their children’s health is more important that their beautification. Implants may affect many different areas of women’s health. Some women might have problems breastfeeding after undergoing breast implants. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast implants have been linked to causing cancer. Other risks include infections, chronic breast pain, and loss of hair, chronic fatigue muscle tremor, dizziness and memory disturbance (Espejo 63).
Liposuction for teenagers holds as many risks as breasts enlargement, so eating healthy and exercising may help. If not, underlying hormonal or thyroid problems might exist, so the teens should consult with their physician. Parents have to try to explain to their adolescent that having plastic surgery is not going to put the world to their feet due to new attractiveness, but may cause the health problems for the rest of their lives. Social acceptance creates quite an impact during important growth years.
Teens see that their parents and society in general prefer certain aesthetic criteria, so it is natural for them to desire to look their best. Plastic surgeries are very popular method of increasing self-esteem nowadays, the victims of destructive accidents and health problems are not only the customers of cosmetic medication anymore. Cosmetic surgeries should be left to ones who really need them for their health, but not for satisfaction of a society. Plastic surgery is totally unnecessary at teen ages because as they mature into adults some of their features may change and give them that fitted normal structure they were looking for.
Mass media should be are most of the responsibility of leading adolescents to end up the tragedy of cosmetic surgery. It’s time to educate teens about the reality of going under the knife, but even more. Therefore, it is time teens began feeling good about the bodies, they have verses going to harm themselves in that chase for ephemeral beautification. Teenagers are not well informed about the damages of cosmetic surgeries consequently they put their lives are at high risk.
Teenagers only focus on the cosmetic aspect of the procedures they desire, and forget that it is actually a surgery. Cosmetic surgery, as with all other types of surgery, comes with risks of injury and potential complications that should not be ignored. For example, anesthesia is one of the critical process involves in cosmetic surgery carries serious risks including severe reactions to the anesthetic, as in the case author states in the passage, “But plastic surgery, like any procedure that uses anesthesia, can be fatal.
” Now if teenagers are well aware about the damages of Anesthesia, probably this helps them to stop going for unnecessary plastic surgeries…. Works Cited Ali, Kaitlyn, and Tiffany Lam. “Teens under the knife: is plastic surgery too dangerous for teens? ” Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication 8 Sept. 2008: 7+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics. Web 2012. 11 Feb. 2013 DiCarlo, Rachel. “Implant or Animal?
From nose jobs to liposuction, perfection awaits”. The Weekly Standart 23 Apr. 2007. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Dittmann, Melissa. “Cosmetic Surgery May Not Improve Self-Esteem”. Cosmetic Surgery. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From “Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast? ” Monitor on Psychology 36. 8 (Sept. 2005). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Espejo, Roman. Cosmetic Surgery. Detroit:Greenhaven Press, 2011.
Print. Marinelli, Kathleen. “I Lost My Daughter to Liposuction. ” Body Image. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Teen Decisions. Rpt. from “Pressure to Be Perfect. ” Teen People (1 Apr. 2001). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. “Procedures: Who Gets What Cut. ” Newsweek 14 July 2008: 60. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. “Turtle Boy and Girl with eight limbs”. Taboo. National Geographic Channel. Comcast. New York. 8 Jul. 2012. Television.