“We spend 6 years of our lives playing with Barbie’s and the rest of our lives trying to be one.” – Unknown. Teenage girls undergoing plastic surgery has become a popular activity, not only for the U.S., but all over the world. In 2011, there were 230,617 teen cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S., “ranging from Botox to breast implants” (Krishnan). There are no laws in the U.S. pertaining to what age is acceptable for teens to endure plastic surgery; however, in 2008, Australia became the first to ban teenage cosmetic surgery, which also included the use of tanning beds. If plastic surgery is performed to correct a birth deformity or executed to cosmetically improves one’s physical appearance, the adolescent needs to be both mature
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Teens must be mature enough both physically and mentally to have plastic surgery performed. Three important factors are considered before a teen is approved for surgery, which include, “an ability to understand the procedure; that the desire for surgery does not reflect what a parent, friend or boyfriend desires; and that expectations are realistic” (“Should teenage girls be allowed to undergo plastic surgery?”). In the article, “Where do parents draw the line?” Smith states, “that before agreeing to perform purely aesthetic surgery on younger clients, he needs to determine whether or not they are mature enough” (Krishnan). Teens mature physically and mentally at different levels and stages of life. A 17-year-old may have her own apartment, married and have a child; consequently, she would be mentally mature enough to make the decision if she would like to undergo plastic surgery. A 18-year-old may still live at home, not have a job and be irresponsible with her everyday choices in life; therefore, she would not be mature enough to make such an important assessment. While being physically mature is important, mental maturity is …show more content…
If a child is born with a deformity, then I truly believe surgery would be very beneficial. Correcting their disfigurement can give them the self-confidence they need to live a successful life. Why should a child have to live with an abnormality and be humiliated when surgery is an option? On the other hand, if a young female wants to have her breast enlarged because she feels they are inadequate, I think she needs to wait until she is older. She may feel pressure from social media, friends or even a boyfriend that she isn’t “good enough” the way she is. As she becomes older and more mature, she may realize that she is acceptable and doesn’t need to have surgery to feel better about herself. Having any type of surgery is a very important decision regardless of age. I agree with the conclusion that Australia has made with banning teens from cosmetic surgery, including the use of tanning beds. I believe this is something the U.S. needs to take into consideration. As mentioned before, teens like to be spontaneous and have instant self-gratification. Instead, they need to take a moment to educate themselves on the possible risks involved with having plastic surgery. Regardless, if it’s having a cosmetic procedure done or even laying in a tanning bed, there needs to be some boundaries. I was a young teenager, who once loved, to lay in a warm tanning bed
Teens must be mature enough both physically and mentally to have plastic surgery performed. Three important factors are considered before a teen is approved for surgery, which include, “an ability to understand the procedure; that the desire for surgery does not reflect what a parent, friend or boyfriend desires; and that expectations are realistic” (“Should teenage girls be allowed to undergo plastic surgery?”). In the article, “Where do parents draw the line?” Smith states, “that before agreeing to perform purely aesthetic surgery on younger clients, he needs to determine whether or not they are mature enough” (Krishnan). Teens mature physically and mentally at different levels and stages of life. A 17-year-old may have her own apartment, married and have a child; consequently, she would be mentally mature enough to make the decision if she would like to undergo plastic surgery. A 18-year-old may still live at home, not have a job and be irresponsible with her everyday choices in life; therefore, she would not be mature enough to make such an important assessment. While being physically mature is important, mental maturity is …show more content…
If a child is born with a deformity, then I truly believe surgery would be very beneficial. Correcting their disfigurement can give them the self-confidence they need to live a successful life. Why should a child have to live with an abnormality and be humiliated when surgery is an option? On the other hand, if a young female wants to have her breast enlarged because she feels they are inadequate, I think she needs to wait until she is older. She may feel pressure from social media, friends or even a boyfriend that she isn’t “good enough” the way she is. As she becomes older and more mature, she may realize that she is acceptable and doesn’t need to have surgery to feel better about herself. Having any type of surgery is a very important decision regardless of age. I agree with the conclusion that Australia has made with banning teens from cosmetic surgery, including the use of tanning beds. I believe this is something the U.S. needs to take into consideration. As mentioned before, teens like to be spontaneous and have instant self-gratification. Instead, they need to take a moment to educate themselves on the possible risks involved with having plastic surgery. Regardless, if it’s having a cosmetic procedure done or even laying in a tanning bed, there needs to be some boundaries. I was a young teenager, who once loved, to lay in a warm tanning bed