Is your teenage daughter unhappy with her breasts and asking you for a new pair? Perhaps your son can't stand his self-proclaimed "Gonzo" nose? While every teenager can be melodramatic, sometimes plastic surgery can be the right decision. Using the 4 M's - motivation, mentality, maturity, and mindfulness - will help you and your teenager make the proper decision about plastic surgery.
How Many Teenagers Get Plastic Surgery?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, 284,405 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed on people age 13-19 in 2009, totaling 2% of all cosmetic procedures for that year. As a parent, you are concerned about your teenager, not the other 250,000 plus teenagers out there undergoing cosmetic procedures.
Is Plastic Surgery Safe for Teenagers?
When it comes to teenage plastic surgery, the stakes are higher. However, the stakes aren't higher because plastic surgery is unsafe for teenagers. They're higher because it is crucial that as a minor, your teenager understand both the short-term and long-term aspects of the procedure he or she is seeking.
The primary concern of any surgical procedure is patient safety. Elective procedures deserve even more scrutiny and beg the question: Do the benefits that are to be experienced outweigh the risks? The issue of safety is compounded even more when the patient is a minor. Most plastic surgeons will ask that your daughter or son undergo a physical examination to determine if she is a safe candidate for surgery.
Are There Special Considerations for Teenage Plastic Surgery Versus Adult Plastic Surgery?
As with adult patients, teenage patients should be treated with respect when considering plastic surgery. Ultimately, there is a reason your daughter or son brought up the issue. Usually teenagers just want to fit in. If there is indeed a reasonable motivation as to why your daughter or son desires plastic surgery, a plastic surgeon can help you decide if the surgery is necessary and if so, at what age it should take place. The special consideration with surgery in teenagers is that they are still growing. A premature surgery may cause more problems down the road.
How Should You Proceed If Your Teenager Wants Plastic Surgery?
If you are the parent of a teenager who wants plastic surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgery maintains that the most rewarding outcomes arise when the following are considered.
- Motivation: What is your teen's motivation? The desire to undergo plastic surgery should come from your daughter, not you, her peers, or a boyfriend or girlfriend. She must be fully committed to the change.
- Mentality: What is your teen's mentality regarding plastic surgery? Your son or daughter should have realistic expectations about the benefits of plastic surgery. If he or she is expecting sweeping life changes, such as a change in popularity status or the attention of a special someone, your teen may be sorely disappointed, even if the surgical result is acceptable.
- Maturity: Your daughter should be physically mature enough to have the operation. Body parts mature at different rates. The nasal bones are not mature until age 15-16, thus a rhinoplasty before that time would be inappropriate. Breasts mature until at least age 18. Unless there is a congenital breast asymmetry, breast augmentation should not be done until age 18.
- Mindfulness: Your teen should be aware that plastic surgery is surgery. Incisions can be painful and recovery and healing takes time. Even some adults have a difficult time with recovery from plastic surgery procedures. Your teen should able to understand the procedure itself, the risks, the benefits, the recovery, and the possibility that the outcome may not be exactly as he'd or she'd hoped for.
Plastic surgery performed on a teenager who has the appropriate motivation, mentality, maturity, and mindfulness can be a beneficial and rewarding experience.
Sources:
American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2010 Report of the 2009 Statistics National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics. Accessed: November 1, 2010.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery For Teenagers Briefing Paper. Accessed: November 1, 2010.
Parker, T.H., & Decherd, M.E. Breast Augmentation. In Janis, J.E. (Ed), Essentials of Plastic Surgery. St. Louis: Quality Medical Publishing, Inc., 2007.
P.W. Booth, S.A. Schendel, & J. Hausamen. Maxillofacial Surgery. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone, 1999.
