Teens Using Cosmetic Surgery to Avoid Bullying
Every parent understands the toll bullying can take on a child. When classmates constantly make fun of a child’s appearance, it erodes a young person’s self-esteem and can make the child feel ugly, unliked and worthless. Particularly in the teen years when children are hyper-sensitive about their appearance, bullying can turn embarrassment into despair, resulting in withdrawal and, in some cases, suicide.
A growing number of teens are finding relief from bullying in cosmetic surgery. According to an online January 14, 2011 report on ABC Action News, 90,000 teens have had cosmetic surgery since 2007, many prompted by bullying. The most popular teenage cosmetic surgery procedures are nose jobs, breast reductions, breast augmentations, ear tucks and Botox injections.
ABC tells the story of high school student Erica Morgo who, at 15, underwent cosmetic surgery to reshape her nose. In a film clip, Erica talks about being relentlessly teased about her nose since sixth grade. When her mother found Erica slamming her face into a door in an attempt to break her nose, she realized how destructive the teasing had become and took Erica for a consultation with a plastic surgeon.
Elective cosmetic surgery for teens has always been a sensitive issue. In the ABC report, one child psychiatrist argues that the problem that should be addressed is bullying, not the individual’s appearance. While that is a noble goal, changing school yard behavior will not undo the damage bullying has already caused to a child’s feeling about him or herself.
Most Cleveland cosmetic surgeons recommend that teens wait to undergo elective cosmetic surgery until they are adults; however, there are cases when the emotional damage warrants early intervention. When a teen desires cosmetic surgery, Cleveland plastic surgeon Dr. Vicente Poblete recommends that the teen and his or her parents thoroughly discuss the issues and possible solutions with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon before deciding on a course of action.