Running Head: Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescents a Booming

Keila Ramirez Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescents a Booming, Yet Controversial Medical Niche The University of Texas at El Paso

Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescents a Booming

Nearly all teenagers enjoy being able to consume a large quantity of their day checking themselves at the mirror and test out different outfits, hairstyles, makeup, etc. Wistfully, many of the adolescents are unhappy with their image to the point that their only resort seems to be plastic surgery. According to research done by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons the percentage of adolescent plastic surgery has had a significant increase throughout the years. Shockingly there have been plenty of cases where instead of the teenager coveting the permanent change of their appearance, it is their parents who are looking forward to their child going under the knife for plastic surgery. A great amount of the teenagers trying to qualify for plastic surgery have unrealistic expectations, such as trying to look like a celebrity. Rhinoplasty, surgery performed on the nose, and otoplasty, which is a surgical operation to enhance the appearance of the ears, are the most common procedures performed among teenagers, which have said to be justified due to being ridiculed by the constant bullying for their overlarge ears, or bumpy nose. Even though plastic surgery to remove bumps from the nose can be performed at a very young age, to be able to reduce the size of the nose in order to make it fit the outline of the face, the teenager would have to wait until their face is fully grown, most likely around the ages fourteen to sixteen for girls, and around the age of fifteen to seventeen years for boys. Pediatricians often feel insecure about teenagers acquiring a permanent change in their appearance. They claim to be well aware of the risks that associate

Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescents a Booming with any type of surgery, not mattering if it is cosmetic or a reconstruction surgery. They also inform how adolescents and their parents tend to minimize the risks surgery comes along with. Even surgeries such as otoplasty come with a great amount of risk. There have been several unfortunate cases were patients have lost part of their ear due to the development of infections in the wounds.

Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescents a Booming

Reference (sources): AAP 2004 National Conference &Exhibition: Presentation F293. Presented Oct. 10, 2004. Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin , MD http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/491266