According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, approximately 2% of all cosmetic procedures are performed on teenagers and young adults. This percentage is increasing each year. No matter where the money to pay for cosmetic surgery comes from, whether it be a graduation gift or otherwise, teenage patients still have to follow the pre and post operative instructions like older patients do.
All patients are different, and such have different reasons for pursuing plastic surgery. It is a plastic surgeons responsibility to determine whether a specific patient’s motivation is a healthy one or not. Dr. Kole is highly skilled both in plastic surgery as well as the psycho-social aspects of cosmetic plastic surgery.
Younger patients that have different motivating factors for desiring self improvement with plastic surgery including conforming with other students, popularity and unrealistic expectations are a red flag for plastic surgery and in these cases, surgery should not be performed.
Additional red flags include body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in which a person has a false perception of a deformity and an obsession with a particular body part. These people should obtain help from psychologists and not plastic surgeons.
Dr. Kole understands that motivations for surgery in teenagers and your adults is often complex. This is why Dr. Kole takes a longer time in consultation with this age group. This extra time is to determine the overall level of the patient’s maturity, emotional readiness for the procedure and recovery and general support from the primary caregiver or family to help support a healthy and safe complication free recovery.
Cosmetic plastic surgery geared for adolescents
There are many procedures that are routinely performed on adolescents and young adults.
These include:
Rhinoplasty: nose jobs to remove hump, tip asymmetry and to repair a deviated septum.
Microdermabrasion and chemical peels: to improve skin tone and reduce the appearance of acne scarring.
Otoplasty or ear pinning: to improve appearance and decrease the chance of being bullied by their peers.
Dr. Kole understands adolescents, teenagers and young adults desire and wishes as it pertains to plastic surgery. As a team both Dr. Kole and the patient will decide if the surgery is the patient’s decision. He/she should not be bullied into the plastic surgery procedure. The post operative results should be natural appearing and realistic to obtain surgically. The patient can handle the surgery both medically and be physically mature enough as well as mentally and emotionally ready to have surgery. Lastly, the patient should not be exhibiting sighs of BDD or doing the surgery for the benefit of someone else.
If these conditions are met, Dr. Kole will discuss the areas of concern and formulate a surgical plan to achieve your goals.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Kole, call our office at 215-315-7655 or fill out the quick contact form and we will contact you directly.
