Inspiration South West

There is no denying that teenagers are becoming sexualised much earlier and worrying about their appearance. Just look at the proliferation of teenage popstars. Many parents worry that this is putting increasing pressure on children to meet the ever-higher physical standards of the day. Even teenage magazines seem to encourage the desire to be the perfect shape. On top of this is the media spotlight that so many of the young celebrities are put under with their every flaw being scrutinised. The media also feature various young people being encouraged to undergo cosmetic surgery procedures.

However, the reality tells a different story. Last year only 5% of girls of university age or younger actually had cosmetic treatment of any kind and for the most part that was non-invasive facial peels. A study showed that 60% of young girls and women had considered the prospect of getting some cosmetic surgery in the future. It would seem that our young people are slightly more mature than we give them credit for.

There is nothing wrong with having cosmetic surgery if the circumstances are right. It is almost universally considered by cosmetic surgeons that the teenage years are not suitable for plastic surgery for a number of reasons. Firstly, patients in their teenage years may not have reached physical maturity which can cause complications in the future after surgery. People grow at different rates so there is no way of knowing if they have fully matured until they are older than 21 at least. Secondly, cosmetic surgeons will have to consider if they are emotionally mature enough to make the decision about surgery. Things that matter to us when we are young tend to change as we get older and many younger patients may be having surgery for the wrong reason. It is also difficult to know if a teenager would have realistic ideas about the possible outcomes of surgery.

There are some cosmetic procedures that are safe to perform on children and teenagers. Ear surgery is best performed before the ears have fully matured as it is more likely to be successful during the younger years. This also involves no incision into the main part of the body and is almost completely safe. Various non-invasive cosmetic treatments liker skin peels and tooth whitening are also more appropriate to use on younger patients but it is often unlikely that they would require treatment unless suffering from a particular medical or dental condition.