Exploring the Dangers of Plastic Surgery for Teens

The issue of plastic surgery for teenagers is an important one to consider.

Although teens may feel pressure to look a certain way, undergoing such cosmetic
procedures at a young age can pose serious risks. A teenager's body and mind are still
developing, yet plastic surgery is an irreversible intervention in its crucial
development. Complications can occur if surgery disrupts the natural growth process.
For these reasons, this essay argues that plastic surgery does more harm than good
and, thus, should not be allowed for adolescents.

First and foremost, the bodies of teenagers are still underdeveloped. Medical
experts widely acknowledge that adolescent physiology continues to change
significantly through the late teenage years and into early adulthood. Plastic surgeries
disrupt these crucial natural development processes, which can have unintended and
sometimes severe consequences. A telling example is the 2015 case of a 17-year-old
girl who underwent rhinoplasty surgery to reshape her nose. In the years following,
her nose began to grow abnormally due to her still malleable cartilage being altered.
This unfortunate case underscores the very real dangers of interfering with
developments through adolescence. When teenage tissues, bones, and other structures
have not reached finished stability, surgeries threaten future complications. For the
sake of young patients' well-being and long-term health, it is prudent to avoid plastic
surgery until the body completes its natural development into full adulthood.

In addition to medical dangers, psychological risks pose serious threats to

vulnerable teenagers. Let us start with some context; adolescence is already a
complex time of self-discovery and identity development. Teens are particularly
impressionable as they seek acceptance and navigate social norms. Contemporary
society bombards youth through constantly evolving standards of beauty, how do they
do this? Extensively online and through traditional media, which is exposed to teens
daily. This saturation of exposure risks instilling unrealistic and often unattainable
ideals that result in insecurity; ultimately, some teens may feel pressured to undergo
plastic surgery in a misguided effort to gain confidence or popularity. You may ask,
“What’s the issue with that?”, the truth is that research has demonstrated teens
conforming to superficial standards through plastic surgery is unlikely to resolve
deeper identity issues and could backfire by damaging self-esteem, it may also hinder
teenagers' natural learning process of internalizing self-worth divorced from fleeting
fashions, standards, and trends. Their mental well-being must be protected from
society's unrealistic pressures through significant restrictions.
 Another important aspect of this debate centers around teenagers' developing
views of beauty standards. The allowing of plastic surgery will give adolescents the
impression of embracing natural beauty without unnecessary cost. Plastic surgery may
give off the impression of a permanent "solution" to temporary insecurities common
in adolescence. Teens who believe surgery can remedy every single perceived flaw
may fail to cultivate self-acceptance of their authentic selves. More troublingly,
normalizing irreversible modifications could cultivate unhealthy or addictive habits
among impressionable youth. In the long run, some teenagers may pursue dangerous
amounts or types of surgeries to continuously "fix" defects in their ever-changing
selves and of course societal perceptions. Beyond health impacts, such reckless
behaviors endanger adolescents financially. These procedures carry steep lifelong
costs, which can saddle young people with burdensome medical debt before they have
reached independence.

In closing, allowing plastic surgery for teens would undermine the healthy
development of both mind and body that should occur during adolescence. While
societal pressures around appearance are difficult to avoid, sanctioning surgical
"corrections" sends the wrong message that natural changes require fixing. For these
many compelling reasons, plastic surgery should remain off-limits for developing
minds and bodies.