Some parents don’t let their children wear make up or wear certain clothing before a certain age. However, what about plastic surgery? While this seems very extreme, many parents are allowing their children to get cosmetic work done even before graduating high school. In fact, some—most—are paying for it. Is this something good to be teaching a child? More important, is it safe? With children facing pressures to fit in, these are questions all parents should be asking themselves.
First of all, there are some kinds of cosmetic surgery that are done for children at an extremely young age. These are not because of a small bump on the nose or ears that stick out, however. These are real deformities with which children are born. In some cases, cosmetic surgeons operate on children as young as ten weeks old.
If a teen is simply concerned about beauty, in the other hand, cosmetic surgery may or may not be healthy. Before considering cosmetic surgery, a parent should see what is causing a teen to want the plastic surgery. Is there a true problem with your child’s appearance that his making him or her unhappy? If your child is having problems socially, perhaps cosmetic surgery is not the answer. Sometimes, the parents themselves are the reason teens feel pressured to get cosmetic surgery. This may be the case if you are overly concerned with looks or if you have offered to pay for your child’s cosmetic surgery.
As far as safety is concerned, the dangers of cosmetic surgery are the same with children as with adults. However, remember that a child’s body is still growing, even at the age of 16 or 17 in some cases. Because of this, if you get plastic surgery to look a certain way at this young of an age, your looks may still change slightly over the next few years. For that reason alone, some people advocate waiting.
In any case, if your child wants plastic surgery at a young age, it is important to be completely involved in the process. Choose a doctor with whom you feel extremely comfortable, and don’t be offended if some doctors turn you and your child away, even before a consultation. Some doctors are simply not comfortable working with anyone younger than 20. Find a doctor who is comfortable with the procedure and make sure your child is getting plastic surgery for the right reasons.
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