Cosmetic Surgery for Teens

Many plastic surgery procedures are best performed once the body has reached its full adult size. Rhinoplasty (also known as a nose job) is a popular choice with older teen patients. Girls typically reach their adult size at 14-15 while males take about a year or two longer.

Do teens in Sacramento get cosmetic surgery?



The media makes it out to be a big story that teens are getting cosmetic surgery in larger numbers than ever. However, this is far from the truth. Yearly data, is increasingly showing a reduction in the percentage, as well as absolute numbers of these surgeries. Only, very essential surgery should be done for teenagers. The consult should be done in the presence of a parent, and even if the teen is above legal consenting age, parental supervision is still needed. A cooling off period, informed consent under parental supervision, and a time to rethink is essential. If a problem is severe enough to cause psychological problems, a psychologist can help in arriving at a decision.

Cosmetic surgery is rare in the teenage population (this age group accounts for only 4% of all cosmetic surgical procedures performed each year). In 2017, more than 229,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients between 13 and 19, including nearly 65,000 surgical procedures such as nose reshaping, breast lifts, breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tucks.

If Your Teenager Wants Plastic Surgery

They must voice a specific concern and have realistic goals. Teens who are able to voice a specific concern and have realistic goals for their outcome are candidates for cosmetic procedures. For example, a teen who notes a hump on the nose and requests to have it removed, has a specific complaint. If that teen's goal is to have a straight nose and blend in with peers, the outcome is likely to be achieved, so this teen may be a good candidate for cosmetic surgery. It the teenager believes that a straight nose will increase popularity, the goal is unrealistic and the teenager is not a good candidate for surgery.

They must show maturity and understand the procedure, risks, and consequences. A good candidate for cosmetic surgery is mature enough to understand the procedure, its risks, and what limitations the recovery period will require. The teenager requesting nasal reshaping who cannot rearrange their sports obligations to allow 6-8 weeks for surgery and healing is not yet ready to commit to the surgery and is not a good candidate for surgery. A mature teenager should also have an understanding of the possible things that can go wrong and be willing to accept that situation should it happen.

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