Breast Augmentation and Rhinoplasty: made for teens

Do you remember what you used to chat about as a teenager? It wasn’t about cosmetic surgery was it? Discussions about the opposite sex were common-place as was who had the better home life, material goods and schoolwork. These days, teenagers are less concerned with makeup and videogames and more interested in who has the better nose job and which plastic surgeon offers the best deal. According to statistics provided by the ASPS [American Society of Plastic Surgeons], over 330,000 patients of 18 years and younger opted for a plastic surgery procedures in 2005 alone, this is an enormous increase from the 27,000 reported 18 year olds who opted for plastic surgery in 2000.

Of course, for many teenagers plastic surgery is an excellent solution. A certain percentage of teenage males experience an aliment called gynecomastia or excess breast tissue. This is an extremely embarrassing disorder and even the fittest and healthiest of teenage males can experience this malady. In this case, a simple round of gynecomastia surgery can cure and lift excess tissue. Another common teenage complaint is the size of noses or ears.

Both rhinoplasty and otoplasty respectively are procedures that should only ever be performed once the body had had time to fully mature, usually after the age of 18 or 19. Many teens rush into these procedures only to find out later in life that their nose or ears were yet to reach their full potential, as it were. A much less invasive form of cosmetic surgery is dermabrasion and is not in fact plastic surgery at all. This procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and involves the use of a laser to lessen the appearance of scarring caused by acne. This skin condition affects 70% of all teenagers in some degree in their lifetime and dermabrasion is a true miracle for the acne scarred skin of any man or woman.
Many teenagers are convinced that undergoing plastic surgery will change their lives. To say that all teens are self-conscious about their bodies is a gross generalisation. Yet it is a generalisation that is completely accurate most of the time. Teenagers worry about things we will only later come to see as inconsequential. Hair, hips, length, weight and many other personal body issues are fretted over daily as bodies change and grow. One day having that smaller nose may not suit your face and getting a tummy-tuck isn’t going to make any one more popular.

A healthy alternative to any radical cosmetic surgery is exercise. Exercise builds muscle and tones the flabby bits and pieces; which has the duel effect of increasing overall confidence as well. One of the overlooked factors that may be influencing a desperate, plastic surgery-seeking teen is depression. The dark passenger, depression results from many factors, including one’s perceived looks and social status. In this case, it is not a knife that needs to cut below the surface but the helpful words of a psychologist or social worker.

If you or a teenager you know is really considering plastic surgery, then it is time to get serious, involve the parents and prepare for a realistic outcome. Cosmetic surgery procedures are hardly ever accepted under standard medical aids and if you cannot afford the surgery, then a plastic surgery loan can be of some assistance. Finance for breast implants or any other form of plastic surgery is possible, but is it necessary and is it really what you or they want? It is always prudent to think about the options carefully. Your body is a precious gift and enhancing it too early in your life with cosmetic surgery and other procedures have far reaching consequences you may not at first realise.

I have been considering a rhinoplasty procedure and came across some interesting cosmetic surgery websites.