Plastic Surgeons for Teens: Parents Need to Show More Responsibility

A few months back there was a case where a 13-year-old girl, Nicolette Taylor, got a nose job done in order to avoid cyber bullying. Her father totally supported her in this. However, the question which comes up over here is where should parents draw a line in such cases? And are plastic surgeons capitalizing on the fears of helpless teens?

New Jersey surgeon, Andrew Miller, has admitted that 25 percent of his business is from the adolescent. In his blog, he described how very young children get bullied for having prominent ears. According to him, Otoplasty helps in building the confidence needed for flourishing in the society.

Oakley Smith, a Toronto-based physician, provided proof from a study that otoplasty leads to reduction, if not elimination, of bullying. 97 percent children involved in the study were happy after the procedure, whereas 92 percent had a boost in self-confidence.

British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons’ former President, Fazel Fatah, disagrees with the points made by the above mentioned surgeons. He believes that all this is just an excuse for increasing profits rat rather than showing care for the children. According to him, it is unethical to promote costly treatment to fighting teasing amongst teenagers.

Both Smith and Miller feel that a well-executed surgery can help in making a dramatic difference in the life of a teenager. However, New York-based psychologist, Vivian Diller believes that bullying is not a rational thing. Even smarter, richer and popular people get bullied. For her, it is a wrong notion to expect that a change in appearance will make any difference to the situation. She believes that the teens should give a long thought before making a change in their body. Again, she also wants parents to realize that cosmetic change may not take away the pain from their child. Rather, if it goes wrong, pain will only be added to the existing situation.