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Beauty
Newsletter
How young is too young for Plastic Surgery?
What
are the surgeries a plastic surgeon will and won't do on young
patients?
For more than 20 years, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr.
Frederic Corbin has been seeing young women concerned about
their appearances. He has been hearing girls revealing what
they consider their beauty flaws. Some say their hips are
too big, their nose has a bump, their breasts are too small,
their ears stick out, their stomach is too fat, …..
The
ideal of beauty is different from country to country and year
to year. These images are always changing and young patients
are curious about enhancing their appearance. Dr. Corbin receives
E-mails and calls from parents and teens who want plastic
surgery.
With
magazine and television images of teen idols with flawless
skin, cute noses, full lips, beautiful features and curvaceous,
fit bodies, it is no wonder that some teens are considering
a trip to a plastic surgeons office.
When
a young woman comes in to Dr. Corbins' office with a photo
of Britney Spears or some other teen idol and tells him they
want to have a nose or shape like Britney's, it is his job
to educate them on what can and can't be accomplished with
surgery. According to Dr. Corbin, it is also his job to determine
whether that teenager is ready emotionally for surgery. Generally,
Dr. Corbin recommends patients wait until they are 18 before
they make any major permanent changes to their appearance
but there are exceptions.
Dr.
Corbin has operated on young women before the age of eighteen
who have one breast much larger or more deformed than the
other and through reconstructive surgery corrected the difference.
Dr. Corbin also performs otoplasties (ear surgeries) on children
with ears that are too big or that stick out. Operating on
a child in these situation can prevent years of teasing and
embarrassment.
Some parents offer their children a nose job or breast augmentation
as a graduation gift.
One
parent says, "I gave my 16 year old daughter a nose job
as a gift because I wanted her to be as confident as possible
before she went off to college. Young girls can be very self
conscious about the way they look and I did not want her to
feel that way. When she first mentioned to me that she wanted
to change her nose I wanted her to wait until she was older,
but after several discussion we researched surgeons and made
an appointment with Dr. Corbin.."
One
father paid for his daughter's breast augmentation as an 18th
year birthday gift. "I always wanted bigger breasts.
I used to get teased at school all the time. They called me
the president of the IBT club (Itty Bitty Titty club). They
also used to say I was a pirates dream, a sunken chest. These
comments hurt my feelings. I first went to see Dr. Corbin
with my mom when I was 17. When Dr. Corbin told me that he
would not operate on me until I was 18 I cried. I waited until
the day after my 18th birthday to have my surgery. I could
not be happier with my results! I feel so fortunate that my
family supported me. They are always there for me."
Angela,
a 15 year old daughter of a doctor and nurse, had her nose
done over her summer holiday. "My mom is a nurse and
my dad is a doctor so I understood that the decision to have
surgery was an important decision. I wanted my nose to look
natural. After healing over the summer, I went back to school
and no one knew I had surgery. It was amazing how many compliments
I got. People thought I changed my hair style and they told
me I looked great, but they never noticed I had my nose done.
I love my new nose and I feel more self confident about myself."
These
examples are just some of the many teens that are having surgery.
It can correct cosmetic deformities safely. Teens considering
cosmetic surgery though need to have realistic expectations
about the procedure they are seeking and need to understand
that it is not without risks. But by educating themselves
about the procedure they are seeking and making the right
choice of physician they can immeasurably enhance their self
esteem and self confidence.
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