Too young to nip and tuck?
On my summer vacation, I . . . went under the knife? Believe it or not, it’s happening. Elective plastic surgery has long been considered the domain of adults with considerable discretionary income, but today, the New York Times reports that an increasing number of teens have opted for cosmetic procedures, often with financial support from their parents. Despite the recent economic downturn, adolescents are going under the knife at a record rate, citing self-esteem and “fitting in” as factors. However, are these young patients getting the desired result - and is it healthy?
Traditionally, the youngest plastic surgery patients tended to be those undergoing reconstructive procedures - for a long time, plastic surgery in children and adolescents was a corrective measure for those suffering from trauma or congenital deformity. However, the recent trend indicates an ever-escalating pursuit of perfection, as teens undergo procedures such as rhinoplasty and liposuction with the intention of looking “normal” - or rather, a heightened version of normal.
The very idea that fitting in as a teen includes the pursuit of a specific physical ideal doesn’t sit well with me. Teenagers are still growing and changing, and while most surgeons take this into account when evaluating a prospective patient, many of these teens seek instant gratification when often, all they need to do is wait for that bigger bustline to develop. Above all, though, I do wonder about the actual social aftereffects of the procedures that the patients have undergone simply to fit in. Is it the perceived flaw that gets the child teased, or is it teen social structure at work? Will conforming to the perceived expectation actually change the patient’s social reality?
My own experience inclines me to believe that simply changing the feature in question is not enough to create instant social acceptance - and if it was, I would question the quality of the social connections forged based on that. However, with proper support and follow-up, a long-term effect of surgery may be an increase in self-esteem. It is important for us to realize that the scalpel is not a magic wand - while plastic surgery can be a catalyst for increased confidence, the most important work takes place within.
