Cosmetic Surgery in Teens

Cosmetic Surgery in Teens
Cosmetic Surgery in Teens

Should girl, 15, have implants?

Jenna Franklin said she had considered having bigger breasts from as young as 12, but made up her mind last year, at the age of just 14, to go from a 34A to either a C or D cup.

In today’s age of social media, there is a maelstrom of images of beautiful people reminding teenagers every hour of the day that to be happy, successful and popular you need to look like a God or a Goddess!
Hence the term “influencer” has been coined, and the entourage of images of these people on every social platform, have thrown all our teenagers into a state of insecurity and anxiety. It is no wonder why teenagers commonly seek out surgery and cosmetic procedures.

65,000 Surgical procedures were performed on teenagers in 2017

In 2017, over 200,000 cosmetic treatments were performed on 13 – 19-year-olds, with 65,000 being surgical procedures including nose reshaping, breast augmentation, breast lifts, tummy tucks and liposuction.

Most breast surgeries in under-18, are for congenital breast malformations (abnormalities from birth) however, there are still a smaller number of reported cases of surgery for breast enlargement or for breast asymmetries. Some cases have been in girls as young as fourteen years old.

One particular case comes to mind of a 15-year-old Jenna Franklin who wanted bilateral breast enlargement, which her parents had agreed to pay for her as a 16th Birthday present. When you read the patient’s argument it is compelling and she is very articulate about her view on why she felt she should have breast surgery.
However, everything needs to be considered and weighed up as surgery is irreversible and not without risks, even a risk of death (albeit very small).
Moreover, we still don’t have any studies on the long-term effects of surgery done on teenagers.
The conclusion was that the patient was asked to wait until her 18th Birthday.

At The Sloan Clinics, we have a blanket policy that we don’t treat anyone under the age of 18. If the teenager does access our clinic troubled by an aspect of their appearance, we can refer them on for mental health assessment.

We are lucky to have experienced psychotherapists who specialise in body image, who work with my clients and provide a fantastic sounding board for anyone who is managing feelings of anxiousness about their appearance. Clients receive sessions that work on building up their self-esteem and confidence.

Why is it so important for teens to get support with their decision making?

As we know, breast development is still ongoing up until the age of 18 and hormonal breast changes can happen into the ’20s. Having an operation has risks and those people that have had surgery in the past will know, the post-operative period can be complicated and painful, and many teens may not feel prepared for this.

Parents need to tread gently over the minefield of emotions when dealing with a teen wanting a cosmetic procedure carried out.

Many teens that can think like adults but their emotional age is still of a child, and their behaviour is often in keeping with their chronological age.
Sometimes, their ideas can be fixed, unshakable, and they lack the insight to weigh up information and make informed decisions. For example, their “desire’ to have breast surgery feels so overwhelming that it trumps the fact that the breasts are still developing, there is a risk of infection, bleeding, anaesthetic risk of death etc. Parents and doctors have to safeguard teens by helping them to balance those risks and support them in making the best decision for their long-term health and wellbeing.

At The Sloan Clinics we have a blanket policy that we don’t treat anyone under the age of 18.

In the aesthetics industry, the risks of the procedures are much lower. Botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are are non-permanent, so after a few months, the effects of the treatments have simply gone away.

It is harder for parents to argue the case for their teenager to not having these procedures done.

Dr Sloan:
“I have had many difficult conversations with 16-18-year-olds, walking a tight line between trying to respect their “adult-opinion” and say “no, you are too young to have lip fillers.”

At The Sloan Clinics, we have a blanket policy that we don’t treat anyone under the age of 18. If the teenager does access our clinic troubled by an aspect of their appearance, we can refer them on for mental health assessment.

We are lucky to have experienced psychotherapists who specialise in body image, who work with my clients and provide a fantastic sounding board for anyone who is managing feelings of anxiousness about their appearance. Clients receive sessions that work on building up their self-esteem and confidence.

The Aesthetics industry is currently unregulated

The aesthetics industry still being trumped as the most unregulated cosmetic industries, for some more unscrupulous businesses, meeting the demand for aesthetics in teenagers can be very lucrative and there is little or no thought into their overall wellness in the long-term. Doctors in the UK are bound by codes of practice and there are severe consequences in they step out of line.
For other non-professional practitioners, there aren’t such codes of conduct or repercussions for treating youngsters.

What to do if you think your teenager suffers from low self-esteem or worries too much about their appearance.

If you think that your child might be using social media too much, and coming away feeling low or anxious suggest:

– Turn off notifications for social apps
– Delete any apps that you think may be causing more anxiety such as those that depict unhealthy body image or your child appears low or withdrawn after visiting the app
– Download apps that focus on wellbeing
– Negotiate a day off from social media, such as a Sunday, where teens take a break from everything and engage with other activities, as a family
– As a family, all play by the same rules, put your phones away too!

Speak to your GP if you think your teenager is feeling low about their appearance or suffering from low self-esteem.
It is always better to talk to your child first and tell them you are concerned. Ask their permission to book an appointment with their GP and go along together to discuss matters with them.
The GP may refer your child for psychological help, or signpost you to other services.

Visit us at The Sloan Clinics

Meet our team at the clinic, including Dr Sloan or one of our psychotherapists Magda or Christian.

1. Mail Online: News. [Last accessed on 2015 Mar 25]. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12295/Should-girl-15-implants.html