What could have caused this increase in teenage cosmetic surgeries?

[bbernardini]

According to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, teenage cosmetic surgeries nearly doubled between 1996 and 1998, from 13,699 to 24,623. Anybody have any theories as to why? I'm giving a talk tomorrow that incorporates this fact, and I'm trying to figure out what the cause could be.

Just so it's out of the way, I already thought of blaming Bill Clinton. ;)

[Droopy]

1. Baywatch

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. Thoroughly fucked-up parenting standards

Y'know, the ones that say, "We must indulge our children so they'll know they're special!"

:eyes:

[Richardo]

11. What he said.

:patriot:

[realisticphish]

3. i'm guessing

maybe a price drop? i have no idea :shrug:

[underpants]

4. The Barbie doll/ Lolita Nation

That's my guess.

[skygazer]

5. That is strange

I don't really know - it seems like a huge jump in a short time. Makes me wonder if something has changed in the legal aspect - drop in the age of consent or anything?

[ZombieNixon]

6. Kids are getting uglier.

x(

:hide:

:P

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

18. I knew that was it! Although, for me, any cosmetic stuff thats more than

$30 is too much. Imperfections give you more character. . . .right? ;)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Lowering ethics in plastic surgeon community.

But I do appreciate the more ugly kids hypothesis.

[ZombieNixon]

8. IMHO, as a technical "teenager" (19),

plastic surgery actually *makes* kids uglier. The whole fakeness faction is overwhelmingly unattractive. :puke:

[pitohui]

16. spoken as someone who doesn't know whereof she speaks

i don't mean to chew you out but i really, really, deeply, truly resent people of normal appearance even daring to say one tiny word abt how plastic surgery is fake

it does not make kids uglier, in some cases, it is a life saver and i say that very seriously

i would not wish for you to go thru what i went thru or what so many people i know have gone thru but i do wish you to get some damn compassion

i could say more, a lot more, but nothing i say will make a person who doesn't have to care abt their looks give a damn abt a person who doesn't look normal, so what is the use?

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

20. I sympathize, but I think he was talking about the more "Daddy, my C cups

are too small, can I get D's?" sort of people. Or, thats what I thought we were talking about :shrug: . . . Sorry to know you've had such bad experiences :hug:

[ZombieNixon]

24. I apologize, I spoke (posted) without thinking fully.

I should have said "people of 'normal' appearance" (normal as being defined by societal norm, of course), getting plastic surgery because they desperately feel they need to conform to some idealized standard of beauty (typically defined by celebrity mags and such).

In many cases, I realize, people do need plastic surgery, and, as you said, it can be a lifesaver. I was referring to people who really have no immediate need to change their looks for any reason, yet do so anyway.

I rubbed you (and others) the wrong way with this comment, and for that I sincerely apologize. I hope you will accept this mea culpa.

Again, I am sorry for offending you.

[RedCappedBandit]

26. Thanks for the apology

:hi:

[RedCappedBandit]

23. Thanks

Some people actually need plastic surgery. I just wanted to remind you.

[ZombieNixon]

25. I apologize, please read post #24

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=5156072&mesg_id=5156954

[tigereye]

10. bingo

that would be my guess. I think there are laws that govern surgery that involves children; I would think that elective cosmetic surgery would be even more carefully scrutinized.... :shrug:

I think it is very scary and reflicts incredible self-esteem issues.

[riona]

9. At first I thought it was teenagers

but then ...what was I thinking? You're right. It must be Clinton's fault!

[951-Riverside]

12. Slutism

Every generation suffers from it.

[wildhorses]

13. low self esteem brought on by a shallow society that puts a

price on everything and values nothing...

[pitohui]

14. well prosperity, certainly

if you think back to the mid/late 90s, there was a lot of money floating around

if your daughter needed work, if she begged you to get work done, and you could afford it, how could you say no?

hell, way back in dinosaur days, we didn't even HAVE the money when i was a teen, but my parents were willing to pay to get the work i needed done, alas, in the end, i didn't have it, because the surgeon said i would not see enough improvement to be worth the risk, but certainly my parents might have cheaped out on a lot of stuff, but not on my physical appearance

you want your child to have the best chance she can have in this world and we live in a visual society

now, a lot of wealth is concentrated in the hands of fewer, but those fewer are held to even higher and more ridiculous standards of appearance so the pressure to get surgery is strong

some of the surgeries are different, improvements in medicines such as accutane means that less dermabrasions or similar procedures are needed to restore pitted and scarred skin, while things we didn't really worry abt much in 60s and 70s, when breast sizes were smaller, have caused such things as breast implants to become more of an issue

but if we have the technology and if people have the money, why should they settle for being less than they can be?

a beautiful girl has more options open to her than an ugly girl, just as an intelligent girl has more options open to her than a stupid one, wouldn't you choose to be both beautiful and intelligent if you could buy it?

[LostinVA]

15. Incredibly physically unrealistic portrayal of women in the media

Guys too, but girls/women have it way, way worse.

That's my opinion.

I can't remember what doctor Oprah had on about ten years ago, but they said the only cosmetic plastic surgery a minor should have is ear tucking and rhinoplasty. Because both are easily fixed and really can help a children's sex esteem. Anything else? No.

[pitohui]

19. there are other surgeries

those two are first two that sprang to my mind, certainly, having had the unfortunate experience of being a FLK and thus knowing others

those surgeries save lives, seriously, because suicide can look like a decent alternative to a whole life ahead of you w. no chance of a normal appearance

however that are other surgeries, perhaps not so common anymore because we have better preventative technologies, but any surgery to remove scarring of the face, especially the face of a young girl or a young woman, i could never in good conscience oppose that or tell her to "wait"

while she is waiting, she is missing her time to be young and carefree

i do think better surgical techniques, meaning they can be safe, and greater financial prosperity in the 90s, did combine to get more surgery to more people, including more teens

i'm not sure why we should be all "ain't it awful" that we have more options to improve people's lives -- gasp! even a teen's life!

i think it's great that i almost never see a teen w. cystic acne any more -- accutane etc. have changed the lives of teenagers in way young people can't even begin to appreciate, 30 years ago, every classroom would have someone or more than one someone who was going to be permanently scarred

[LostinVA]

21. That's what the doctor on OPrah said

KIds can kill themselves, or lead horrible childhood and teen years because of this. And, both surgeries are as safe as any surgery can be, and a piece of cake for the surgeon.

I agree about the face scarring, although maybe that isn't technically a "surgery." My SO had horrible acne and acne scars as a teenager, and had very low self esteem for years. She finally had her face "sanded." And, you are so right about Accutane, etc! It is so very, very rare to see kids with cystic acnes.

[LeftyMom]

17. Parents who can't or won't say no.

A teenager shouldn't be having cosmetic surgery unless they're deformed. Wait until they're grown and comfortable in thier skin and then let them get thier boobs done or thier noses sculpted or whatever, but it's fucking stupid to do it when you're still growing and changing shape.

[flvegan]

22. Seconded.

Especially considering that 99% of these need a parent to sign off on the surgery.