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Nancy Tway
Professor Hamlett
English 101
December 04, 2014
Plastic Surgery: Teens under the Knife
Living in a society where most of the people are judged by their appearance, it is obvious
why many people are turning to the surgical procedure. There are many types of surgery;
reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery are a few examples of surgery. Plastic
surgery or cosmetic surgery is used to enhance the bodys appearance to improve self-esteem and
self-confidence. Plastic surgery performed on people of all ages especially teens or young adults.
In the novel He, She and It by Piercy, also mentions about how society or a community
influences children to go into a surgical procedure to resemble the ideal face and body. Another
example that Piercy talks about plastic surgery is when Gadis kidneys were injured and he had
to undergoing surgery to replace it. Teens nowadays, mainly girls have become obsessed to the
ideal look they want. For example; teens want to have long legs (being tall), slim waist, large
breasts and pretty face like famous celebrities. There are many different reasons why people
want to have plastic surgery, and teenagers who want to get plastic surgery usually have different
motivation or goals than adults. Adults tend to have plastic surgery because they want to be
different from others, or to look better than everyone else. However, many teens want to have
plastic surgery just to fit in to their society or be like others attractive person because they
depressed from being bullied by others at school. Other teens are influenced by media because
they want to be like their idol or the person they admire. Moreover, some wants to have plastic

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surgery to correct their part of the body from physical defect (this is called reconstructive
surgery).
The first reason that makes many teens decided to have plastic surgery done is that they
feel depressed from being bullied by others at school. They do not feel comfortable in their look
or their appearance to others. In another word, they are unhappy with themselves and in a
situation where others being mean to them all the time. Many teens wish they could change or fix
any parts of their face or body to be more beautiful or look better than they are now. For
example, they want to reshape their nose, or they wish they could have larger breast or wish to
look skinnier and wish to have lighter skin. The reasons for being bullied reported most often by
student were looks (55%), body shape (37%), and race (16%) (Davis and Nixon). Therefore
plastic surgery has become a way for teens to improve self-confidence and stop the bullying.
Parents correct kids teeth with braces to make their teeth straighter, theyre still the same kid
on the inside, but, unfortunately, people are judged on how they look (Alter). Because people
being judges a lot by their appearance, it is easy to see why many of them turn to plastic surgery.
A girl name Renata, 15, said her classmates teased her a lot about her nose, and they called her
that girl with the big nose it made her stop going to school for three years. For that reason, she
requested to get her nose job done from a NYC nonprofit that provide plastic surgery to
deformed, low-income kids (Alter). Choosing a plastic surgery can improve self-esteem and can
also be life-changing for teenagers who may depress over a physical defect that they are being
teased for. However, Plastic surgery is not the only way to get through bullying, there are many
others way to look more attractive and to handle bullying.
Another reason that influence teens to have plastic surgery is the media, teens want to
look flawless like the person they see in television and magazines, or someone they admire. The

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media has been a significant reason in this circumstance by presenting completely perfect
women as singers, musicians and news reporters. For example, a teenager wants to be like
his/her favorite characters in the movie or someone they have seen on television. In today
society, media has been a major influence on body image ideal look. Society created the idea
that, in order for girls to be consider beautiful she must has nice body, flawless skin, straight and
white teeth or beautiful smile, etc. media pressure teens to want to be perfect. An internet
survey funded by Seventeen magazine and Procter &Gamble shows that nearly half of the 14-18
year olds said they were dissatisfied with their bodies, and a third of the teens said they were
considering some type of plastic surgery (Hunker and Gray). Yet, teens are not mature enough to
make their own decision, so far they think it will make them look prettier if they do the plastic
surgery. The feeling of wanted to be like others flawless people is just a short-while emotion, this
is not a logical reason to have plastic surgery. The feeling of wanted to be like others in
childhood or as a younger age can be cure because as time goes on the teenagers mind will be
fully grow and mature enough to decide whether the media is really presenting both pros and
cons of plastic surgery. Teens should not feel like plastic surgery is the only way out for their
body image problem. They have to love themselves at any situation or any size not just the look
that the magazines tell them to be like.
The last reason, is the one reason that people accepted the most, because many teens want
to have plastic surgery done to correct their body parts from physical defect this is called
reconstructive surgery. Reconstructive surgery restores or improves physical form and function
after birth defects, accidents and diseases. Teenagers who want to correct their parts of face or
body can have reconstructive surgery done for them. Reconstructive surgery is a procedure to
make someone look normal or to improve function. Birthmarks, skin cancer, tumors, cleft-lip,

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burn wounds, and disease treatments like remake a womens breast after surgery for breast
cancer are all examples of why many people might want to have reconstructive surgery. Jon
Escalante had surgery at age 17. In elementary school Jon Escalante was uncomfortable hanging
out in the hallways when kids called out, whats up, Dumbo? he says. Id turn away because I
didnt want to get into a fight. (Pham). With the support of his mother, Escalante begun looking
into surgery, and in 2008 he underwent an otoplasty, Escalante says, I waited all my life to get
surgery, and now I dont care if people see my ears! Jon has big ear since he was born, and
therefore he decide to fix it to stop the bullying. Another example of plastic surgery in teen is
Hannah Olsen, she had plastic surgery at the age of 19. As a freshman at Powell High School in
Powell, Wyo., Hannah Olsen was one of the top varsity runners, she says. Then her breasts
developed, and by the time she started her junior year, Olsen was ranked last on her running
team and in near-constant pain from the weight of her 36DDD chest. Olsen decided to have
plastic surgery to have her breasts reduce from 36DDD to 34D. And now she is back to enjoy
long runs and back to her normal life without having to carry a heavy weight on her chests
(Pham). So in this case doing reconstructive surgery that will help teens live their normal life is
an acceptable reason for having plastic surgery procedure done, because people do that in the
right purpose. Although reasons for cosmetic surgery range from getting a better look to
improving job prospects, often the common factor among patients is more than skin deep.
Teenagers who are thinking about having plastic surgery to change the way they look are often
addressing issues of self-esteem (Beam)
After seeing that there are many reasons and purposes for people to do the plastic
surgery, whether teenagers or adults, both have to make sure and understand that, is plastic
surgery really for them?, is plastic surgery the right choice and is plastic surgery worth it? People

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may have cosmetic surgery if he/she is healthy, have reasonable purposes or expectations, and
know the risks of the procedure they are seeing. Cosmetic surgery may not be right for people
with serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, a bleeding
disorder or depression. Many teens who undergo plastic surgery have different reasons, but there
are some guidelines parents should follow before letting their children go under the knife. First,
sign up teens with a therapist for at least four sessions to determine if there are other matter, like
depression, driving teens desire for surgery. Parents need to make sure their child is doing
plastic surgery at the right moment and with the right reasons (Pham). Cosmetic surgery is a real
surgery so people have to make sure they are doing it right the first time. Is plastic surgery worth
it? This is the question many people have been asking. Plastic Surgery is a serious procedure that
has a lot of consequences both good and bad. When it is done in the situation of helping someone
improve their health, then it is a good thing or worth it. However, some people are going to go
and pursue plastic surgery for no other reason than the cosmetic purpose because they are not
happy with their appearance. In any case, you must understand that plastic surgery is not going
to fix your problems or change you but it can help you feel better about your appearance
(Gregory).
Another question that parents and teens might want to consider is that, is plastic surgery
too dangerous for teens? Teenagers usually make decision to have plastic surgery before
considering the risk of it. Most of them are immature enough to think about certain factors which
may cause them a life-long effect. There are many risks in plastic surgery, such as infections,
blood clots, and even death because teens bodies are still growing and developing. What they
fix or change now may not look the same as they grow older. Surgery during the teenage years
should be performed only to correct impairment and traumatic injury (Ali and Lam). Some

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people on the other hand agree that the teen years (young age), when body heal fast, it can be an
excellent time for a different kind of common surgeries. However, plastic surgery should be an
option for anyone mature enough to handle life-changing decisions. Teens have all access to
internet or any other sources to gather information about plastic surgery today, and they know
that plastic surgery does not always turn out perfect. If teens have done enough research and
certain about their decision, then let them do it. In our society today, self-esteem is essential.
Rather than force someone to remain self-conscious about that imperfect nose, that person should
have the option of plastic surgery (Ali and Lam). In nowadays, people are judges by what they
have and the way they look, it is sometimes difficult to fit in. If a person think that they are ready
and very sure about plastic surgery, if they are positive about their decisions that the surgery will
help them boost their self-esteem then let them do it. It is their life and if that individual teen is
mature enough, there is no reason to discourage him/her. However, the final decision for plastic
surgery is depending on parents and doctors. They must make sure that the teen is mentally and
physically mature enough, and have teens considered the side effects. And make sure the teen
will be able to handle the result if something goes wrong.
According to American Society of Plastic surgery (ASPS) statistics, 76,220 cosmetic
surgical procedure were performed on people age 13-19 in 2012, while 160,136 cosmetic
minimally-invasive procedures were performed. Not every teenager seeking plastic surgery is
well suited for an operation. Teens must demonstrate emotional maturity and an understanding of
the limitations of plastic surgery. The ASPS warns teenagers and parents to keep in mind that
plastic surgery is real surgery with great benefits, but also carries some risks. Teens should have
realistic expectations about plastic surgery and what it can do for them. The ASPS also offers
some guidelines for teens considering plastic surgery: The teen must initiate the request rather

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than what a parent say and must have realistic goals and expectations. The plastic surgeon should
be experienced and board-certified in a specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical
Specialties, including the American Board of plastic surgery. The surgery should be done in an
accredited surgical facility with the ability to handle rare complications. The surgery must be
done under a policy of full, informed consent, that means the details of the procedure are
understood and agreed to by the patient and the patients parent guardian (ASPS). In another the
way to think of this is that, people must have the right reason, the right place and the right
surgeons when consider in getting a plastic surgical procedure done.
Cosmetic surgery may have a positive impact, many people feel more accepted after
undergoing plastic surgery. By changing into an ideal beauty look, they earn the acceptance of
others and receive positive attention. Some people even have become more as an outgoing
person from an introvert person. But while plastic surgery may seem to increase confidence, it is
often an illusion. Even to the patients themselves, who might be confuse of their real person or
real self-esteem with the joy of feeling approve of their appearance. People have always wanted
to look like societys ideal. The ideal look in society is always based on the appearance of the
dominant group. In addition, Cosmetic surgery is no longer limited to the wealthy; banks offer
loans for it. As plastic surgery becomes more acceptable, its interesting to think about whether
the value of beauty will decrease as it becomes something anybody can buy. People are more
open about their wish to be attractive, and plastic surgery no longer has a negative meaning.
Though plastic surgery can gain acceptance from others, but why should people care about the
opinion of others people that do not see you for who you are on the inside? Most people would
choose a gorgeous person then a person who lack of looks because all human are attracted to
things that are beautiful to look at and want to associate our self with it.

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Time will change a person appearance physically as well as internally, good looks does
not stay forever. However, Inner beauty of a person will last forever. Inner beauty may be
described as something that is experienced through a persons character rather than by
appearance. It is the true beauty of a person that goes far beyond just physical appearances.
Eventually as time goes by wrinkles starts to become more noticeable, people appearances
change, they will become ugly, and worst if they still did not work on improving themselves to
become a better person inside. They will be lacking of beauty in both and truly turn into an ugly
person. Inner beauty helps a person appreciate outer beauty. If a person appreciate, love and feel
good about themselves, they would feel more confident about seeing and interacting with other
people in this world. Sometimes people may speak to someone for a minute and find them
pleasant or not pleasant at first. But as the conversation goes on for a minute or more, people
may start to see qualities and traits, and without realizing it, people may start to find that person
more and more beautiful. At the end, first impression do not always depend on a person
appearances, but a person need to believe that from within themselves.
Once we see there are many reasons and purposes to have the plastic surgery done, we
can conclude that plastic surgery is acceptable to do only if doing it by the right reasons. Teens
need to be really realistic with the fact that cosmetic surgery may be only piece of many thing
that serve to improve aspects of themselves. There may be physical changes but the real change
begins with who they are inside (Beam). Many people would agree that an individuals
personality and character are more important than how that person looks on the outside.
However, that well-recognized fact does not lessen the importance of outside appearance. How a
person looks can have an impact on how they feel about themselves. People that do not like the
way they look, can feel unsatisfied and lack confidence. If you are not happy with your

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appearance, just have the right attitude to accept the outer you and boost the inner confident of
you. Therefore, if you considering cosmetic surgery, you need to ask yourself what is your goal
and expectations of surgical procedure? Because this is a life-changing situation, it could change
into a better way or even worse than before. For that reason, make sure to do some research and
gather as many information you can before decided to go under the knife.
Works Cited
Ali, Kaitlyn, and Tiffany Lam. "Teens Under The Knife." Current Events 108.1 (2008):
7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Alter, Charlotte. "Bullied Teen Scores Free Nose Job From Nonprofit For Facial
Deformities." Time.Com (2014): 1.Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Beam, Liane. "Bodies Under Construction." Teen Plastic Surgery. Faze Magazine, n.d. Web. 02
Dec. 2014.
Davis, Stan. Nixon, Charisse. The Youth Voice Project. Njbullying.org. PennState ,March
2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Gregory, Deborah. "IS PLASTIC SURGERY WORTH IT? Yes." Essence 34.11 (2004):
42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Hunker, Paula Gray. "Pressure To Be Perfect." Insight On The News 16.10 (2000): 29. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Pham, Thailan. "Teenage Plastic Surgery." People 73.13 (2010): 107-110. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

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Piercy, Merge. He, She, and It. New York: Knopf, 1991. Print.
"Plastic Surgery For Teenagers Briefing Paper." Plastic Surgery & Teenagers. American Society
of Plastic Surgeons, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014