Responding To Your Teens Request For Plastic Surgery

If you are like most parents, you probably won’t even entertain the idea of your child having plastic surgery. But, what if your child was being bullied unmercifully for an imperfection that they have no control over? What if you dried many tears while trying to assure your child that being different is okay. Being bullied can be a living nightmare.

We live in a society where anyone that is different stands out, and they are the source of many jokes and much teasing. Today’s bullies are quite different than those of yesteryear. Today children take bullying to the extreme, even if it means taking a life. If your child was miserable about their appearance and you had the power to fix it, would you allow them to have corrective surgery?

A study was conducted in 2010 by BullyingStatistics.org. Their research found that one out of every seven children are a victim of bullying. Social media is playing a big part in this upsurge. Many are using media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snap Chat to bully other students. It’s easier to gather a following when teens can hide behind a computer or cell phone screen. Schoolyard teasing has become a viral onslaught, and the effects are devastating. Most children avoid school, slack off on their work, and many fall into a deep depression, all caused from alienation from their peers. A recent movement is begging parents to keep their children off of social media until they are 15 years of age. A 15-year-old is able to brush off difficult criticism more than a 10 or 11-year-old. In many cases, social media doesn’t build character, it destroys it.

BID or Body Image Dissatisfaction is the number one reasons teens seek plastic surgery. However, according to this, children are turning to surgery way before their bodies even have a chance to develop fully. Did you know that your child is still developing way up until they are 20 years of age? Parents allowing children to go under the knife, for the simple reason of just being unsatisfied with their body, is feeding into societies belief that if we are not perfect, we must fix it. A child that is 13 years of age may correct their imperfections, naturally, before the age of 18.

Still, you may feel that the benefits of plastic surgery outweigh the risks. If your child has an imperfection that can be easily corrected with surgery, you may feel compelled to consent. Before scheduling an appointment, make sure your child can emotionally handle surgery. No surgery is easy, and recovery time can be quite extensive. It all depends on the procedure. Above all else, make sure your child doesn’t view societal conformity as a desired level of normalcy. It can encourage a problematic mindset that will stay with them throughout life.

Teens are obsessed with their appearance anyway. Puberty brings about many hormonal fluctuations that cause changes in their outer appearance and thought process. During this awkward stage, many are unhappy with their nose, breasts, buttocks, face, eyes, chin, and other noticeable parts of the physique. The most common procedures done on teens are Liposuction, Breast Augmentation or Reduction, rhinoplasty, genitoplasty, and otoplasty. However, are many parents quick to consent rather than wait to see if nature fixes things?

Making A Decision About Cosmetic Surgery As a parent, you need to encourage a strong sense of self-worth and love. Issues with bullying can be addressed in other manners that don’t require such drastic measures. If surgical measures seem logical in your specific case, make your sure your child can handle the emotional and physical toll it will take on their body.