2008 Woodie Awards
Plastic surgery spreads to teens
Andrea Lydon
Issue date: 2/8/05 Section: Features
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Thanks to the advent of shows like "The Swan" and "ExtremeMakeover," the idea ofplastic surgery is being removed from the realm of Hollywood and placed in the backyard of adolescents across America. Getting liposuction or breast implants isnʼt as notorious as it used to be, and plenty of stories about teenagers going under the knife are easily recounted everywhere from MTV to someone you meet at a party on campus. But the seemingly growing number of teens getting plastic surgery has some people worried. Is surgery just one more step in a never-ending quest for perfection, or does it actually have some merit? According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of girls in 2003 under 18 getting breast implants nearly tripled, from 3,872 (in 2002) to 11,326. Plastic surgeon Dr. Win Pound notes, "When I was in high school, you were lucky if you got a car when you graduated. These days, kids are getting cars, plus theyʼre getting plastic surgery."
And the idea of getting plastic surgery for a graduation gift isnʼt unheard of anymore; an easily recognizable example is Sarah from MTVʼs "The Real World: Philadelphia." Calling her breasts her "most expensive accessories," she tells the housemates how she received them as a graduation present.
Some critics feel that teenagers are too shortsighted in their dissatisfaction towards their looks to worry about the risks that getting plastic surgery may impose. Others fear that the rise of adolescents getting surgery at a younger and younger age, some as young as 14, will lead to it being viewed much less seriously than it actually is. Surgeon Scott L. Spear remarks that "at 18, most girls donʼt really know what theyʼre doing... itʼs more than just having yourears pierced."
But do teens who go through with plastic surgery really deserve all this concern and stigmatization? Some people believe that plastic surgery can be beneficial for teenage patients, boosting physical and emotional development.
And the idea of getting plastic surgery for a graduation gift isnʼt unheard of anymore; an easily recognizable example is Sarah from MTVʼs "The Real World: Philadelphia." Calling her breasts her "most expensive accessories," she tells the housemates how she received them as a graduation present.
Some critics feel that teenagers are too shortsighted in their dissatisfaction towards their looks to worry about the risks that getting plastic surgery may impose. Others fear that the rise of adolescents getting surgery at a younger and younger age, some as young as 14, will lead to it being viewed much less seriously than it actually is. Surgeon Scott L. Spear remarks that "at 18, most girls donʼt really know what theyʼre doing... itʼs more than just having yourears pierced."
But do teens who go through with plastic surgery really deserve all this concern and stigmatization? Some people believe that plastic surgery can be beneficial for teenage patients, boosting physical and emotional development.
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