Teenage Cosmetic Surgery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Teenage Cosmetic Surgery - Essay Example Branded clothes have firmed their place in the wardrobes of the teens. Apart from that, many teenager girls develop anorexia, a condition, which was earlier attributed to models, and actors who were in their mid twenties. In addition, the self-consciousness has elevated to such a high level that many teenagers indulge in cosmetic surgery at a very young age to enhance their looks. According to Quart, the rate of cosmetic surgery rate has increased from 1% to 3% of the total 4.6 million surgeries during the period of 2001 to 2003. In this study, the attempt is to explore the various aspects of cosmetic surgery among teenagers and how it has affected their lives. Consumerism and Teenage Cosmetic Surgery Consumerism does not always correspond to physical goods, but it propagates itself through other notions too. For example, the television programs, which show teenage prodigies in music and movies looking glamorous, teenage magazines, that show girls with a great body clad in skimpy clo thes, advertisements that appeal to teenagers with young girls and boys who have the perfect smile, nose, face and body (Quart, 2003). These tendencies send out a message showing that these are the elements that would make the popular among their own group and among the opposite sex. This phenomenon applies to teenage boys as well, as they want to look as masculine as possible at the earliest. While the boys resort to excessive gym sessions, protein shakes and steroids, the teenage girls typically take the route of cosmetic surgery. For teenagers and adolescents, the two major cosmetic procedures, liposuction as well as breast enhancement are gaining immense popularity. In 2003, around 223, 000 cosmetic surgeries were performed on teenagers and out of that, around 39,000 were enhancement procedures such as breast enhancement, silicone implants, tummy tucks and nose reshaping (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2003). Hence, it is necessary to take a detailed look, under stand and evaluate the circumstances in which cosmetic surgery is appropriate and can be recommended to teenagers. While, there is very less research on this topic, it is necessary to explore it, in light of increasing number of surgeries. Cosmetic Reconstructive Surgery – When is it recommended? It goes without doubt that reconstructive surgery is a great boon for many teenagers as well as preteens. The surgeries that are conducted to correct conditions like cleft lips or palates can be classified under those. In addition, surgery to remove big warts or moles on the face that mar the appearance is also popular. These procedures are necessary because they help the teenagers and the children lead a normal life and prevent them from being objects of ridicule. Hence, removal of these conditions can help the teenagers get rid of any psychological negative effects because of the deformity. However, with the advent of showbiz world and television programs, it has become very challe nging to define what constitutes a ‘normal’ physical appearance and when the desire to look stylish and noteworthy takes dominance in such a way that they consider opting for surgery. The definition of this ‘normal’ appearance has various facets as the teenage girls become increasingly conscious if the nose is slightly small or if the breasts are not as large as of their favourite teen diva. Cosmetic surgery and Teenagers The biggest concern with regard to teenagers and plastic surgery is that the body is not fully