Plastic surgeons are known to be some of the most controversial doctors of them all. Having the knowledge of changing one’s body to suit their interests is an amazing quality. Focusing in on teenagers, plastic surgery is becoming a new hit for young adults the age of 13-18. I think people still in their teenage years should not be allowed to endure any plastic surgery since their bodies are still developing and haven’t matured yet. This is an important topic to focus in on because generally, the human body doesn’t quit developing until around the age of 18-21, depending on the person. 

Plastic Surgery has increased in teenagers over the years. In 2012, more than 236,000 cosmetic surgeries were performed on young adults below the age of 19 (Wed MD). The purpose of getting plastic surgery all comes from the same idea: self-consciousness. This is even true for adults that get plastic surgery. People aren’t happy with their bodies; some may think their breasts are too large or too small; and then fix these issues with plastic surgery. 

The idea of body image for young girls starts at a young age. You need the love and support of your parents to think highly of yourself. Children's body image concerns may be further influenced by sociocultural influences such as dolls, television characters, and characters in children's books and movies (Zuckerman and Abraham). Now in this age and era, girls are making choices to get plastic surgery based off what the “ideal woman” should be. 

Most girls get plastic surgery also because they are self-conscious about parts of their bodies. Studies show that body image is continually developing in response to internal and external cues, and the physical changes of puberty occur at a time when teens are especially sensitive to how others look and what others think (Zuckerman and Abraham). Teenagers believe that it is acceptable to have plastic surgery at young ages just because of their self-consciousness. High school is full of this, so changing your body just for this fact is not as acceptable as some seem to believe. About 64,000 teens get some sort of plastic surgery procedure each year-mostly around the time that school starts up again in the fall (Pesce). 

From personal experience, I had to get my nose fixed once I had broken it in a lacrosse game. This was a year ago, and I didn’t personally know the hidden effects. It wasn’t full plastic surgery when I got it, but I did have to go see a plastic surgeon to get it put back into place. I personally had no choice when getting my nose done since it was crooked. As my mom said, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. I was the only one that truly noticed it, and it made me self-conscious. I understand where it comes from by these girls that would like to have plastic surgery done. For me, there was no personal hidden effects, just that the fact that it took almost 2 months to heal and not hurt anymore. I was told that I had to watch out for my nose in the future because it would be more susceptible to breaking again.  

The top 5 surgeries that teenagers get are breast implants, breast reductions, liposuction, nose jobs, and lip injections. Nose jobs can cost up to $10,000, breast implants can cost from $8,000 to $10,000 and breast reduction can cost from $10,000 to $12,000 (Pesce). Liposuction can range anywhere from $2,000 to $3,500.  Lip injections can range from $500 to $2,000. For how much these teenagers and their parents are paying, they should know the hidden effects. Breast development can continue even after the age of 18 (Zuckerman and Abraham). These young adults or kids could be harming their bodies without fully knowing. 

One of the top 5 most common plastic surgeries for teenagers is a breast reduction. Most teenagers get breast reductions due to back problems. Per plastic surgeons, it is best to get this surgery once one’s breasts have stopped growing for the best results (Gardner). Although most girls don’t want to wait to get this surgery, its best for your body. Modern Family star Ariel Winter who is 17 years old just reduced her breast size from a 32F to a 34D. Winter said that it was a huge weight off her mind (Pesce). Although ones’ breasts might now be done growing, getting the surgery isn’t a horrible idea. The only issue would be having them keep growing after the surgery, and then you are back at square one and potentially needing another surgery. 

Another common surgery for young girls is a breast enlargement. Some who are very self-conscious want this for their body no matter the circumstances. Since their body isn’t done growing, getting implants could mess up this process. Saline implants are approved for people over the age of 18 and silicone gel implants for those 22 and over. The difference between the two is that the saline implants allow room for growth if needed. People under the age of 18 can still get breast augmentations, but under certain circumstances with different implants. 

Liposuction is another top surgery for teenagers to get. Liposuction is a procedure in which localized deposits of fat are removed to recontour one or more areas (Zuckerman and Abraham). Liposuction is also a bigger procedure than more people think. For smaller procedures, the patient is still put under anesthesia. For bigger procedures, the patient is put under heavier anesthesia and has to stay the night at the hospital to monitor them. The issues with liposuction are bruising, damage to the skin, and sometimes infection. Not as many teens get liposuction, but those who do get it mostly for the reason of being self-conscious.

Another common procedure would be fixing or reshaping of the nose. As I had said earlier, I got my nose fixed solely for the purpose that I thought I had to. Girls who get a nose job mostly do it because its crooked or they think it’s “too big.” One of my friends from home got a nose job as her graduation present. She thought her nose was too big compared to her face, and was always very self-conscious about it. She would contour it with makeup to try and make it look smaller for her liking. I never thought it was too big, and neither did any of my friends. Once you have the mindset of something, you stick with it. She got her nose fixed and hasn’t been happier. She now is where she wants to be. But the recovery process was a lot for her. Having stents pulled out of your nose is one of the most uncomfortable things she has ever experienced. I never had to go through this because my surgery wasn’t as severe as hers. But, nose jobs and breast reductions and enlargements are 3 of the most popular plastic surgery procedures for teenage girls. 

Lip injections is the last of the top 5 most common plastic surgeries for teenagers. This trend started about 5 years ago when the models and actresses started sharing this procedure with social media. Kylie Jenner played a huge roll in this. Last year the “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” was very controversial. People would suction their lips to get them to look plump like Kylie’s. Most of the teenagers that get this are considered to be more wealthy and famous. Many older women do get this as well, and the percentages of adults to teenagers for this procedure is much higher. 

The difference between surgical and non-surgical plastic surgery procedures is what it does for you and how long it lasts. Dr. Peter Adamson discusses this issue and states that Botox lasts for around 3 months as a nonsurgical procedure, while something like a facelift lasts 12-15 months as a surgical procedure. It all depends on the strength of what you use as well. Botox is not as strong as facelifts are, so they don’t last as long. Nonsurgical procedures also don’t take as long to heal from. Surgical Procedures can take up to 3 months to heal, while some nonsurgical procedures can be done and a day later you can you right back to where you left off. 
