Zach Dr. lepore

Dr. Vincent Lepore is certified by the American board of plastic surgery and is a member of the American society of plastic surgeons.  He claims that plastic surgery is not only for the wealthy. “The majority of people who undergo any type of cosmetic surgery, are working adults of moderate income”. He claims that most of the time his clients just save up their money as if they were buying another significant purchase.

This source is not the best for my paper because this professionals opinion is biased.

Lepore, V. (2013, October 10). Cosmetic surgery costs. San Jose plastic surgery Info by Vincent

Lepore MD. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from http://www.sanjoseplasticsurgeryinfo.com/cosmetic-surgery/cosmetic-surgery-costs/

Zach Dr Frances opinion

Dr. Frances is a professional speaker with a career in medicine. She also consults with patients on integrated health, second opinions, stress and life management, diet and lifestyle, and nutritional medicine. She claims that parents should support their kids if they want to receive cosmetic surgery. This way they at least talk about it with their parents and do not make a bad decision. She claims that the teens do not need any stress from the parents and the best thing parents can do is try to get the teen to wait a little bit so that they may reconsider. She also claims that cosmetic surgery is starting to become more widely accepted in school.

This source is useful for my paper because it gives me another professional opinion.

Teenagers and cosmetic surgery | Dr Frances Pitsilis. (n.d.). Teenagers and cosmetic surgery | Dr

Frances Pitsilis. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from http://www.drfrances.co.nz/

teenagers-cosmetic-surgery.html

Dr. Ted Gish Interview

Ted Gish is a Biology professor at Madonna University. Gish had known former students of his who had undergone cosmetic surgery before the age of eighteen. He understood the pressures teenagers face from peers and society, especially with the Internet being a 24/7 reminder of famous models and actors who portray an 'ideal look'. However, he still believed that teenagers should wait until they truly know that they want the surgery, or wait until they reach adulthood to see if the thought passed. Gish also believed that the final decision on receiving the surgery should come from a combination of both the adult and the teenager’s thoughts. He thought there was a point to where the adult should take more authority on the matter considering the teenager was not yet an adult. Gish did not know of any biological implications on how the surgery could affect a body that is not fully matured; therefore, he compared plastic surgery nowadays to that of the first surgeries performed. He stated, “black and white photos stay forever; however, color fades. Who knows how long surgeries nowadays will last”. His comparison provided insight on how the past has told us how early surgeries have ended up but not enough time has passed for society to see how long the new surgery procedures will last (T. Gish, personal communication, February 17, 2014).
This interview provided me with a chemistry professor's opinion on whether teenagers should have surgery before the age of eighteen. 

Dr. Veronica Riha Interview

Veronica Riha is a biology professor at Madonna University. She did not know anyone personally who had cosmetic surgery as a teenager. Her opinion on the matter was a definite no. She also did not know of any biological implications on how the surgery could affect a body that is not fully mature. When asked if she believed if the final decision should be the teenager’s choice or the adult, she firmly said that the adult should make the decision. On the matter concerning whether the surgery would actually improve one’s self-esteem and confidence, she replied, “No, if you are uncomfortable with your body you will never be truly happy with how you look. No one is perfect”. Riha believed that if you aren’t happy with how you look before the surgery, you will probably find things after the surgery you won’t like. Everyone needs to just come to terms with themselves and make the most of it. There was no point in worrying about how you looked when you are not the only one who may not like how you feel about your personal features. Teenagers were always finding things wrong with how they look now that there are so many pressures from society (V. Riha, personal communication, February 13, 2014).
This interview provided me with an opinion from a biology professor about her beliefs on the subject of teenagers undergoing surgery before the age of eighteen. 

Dr. Mary Mitsch Interview

Dr. Mary Mitsch  is a nursing professor at Madonna University. Although Mitsch  had not known anyone personally who had cosmetic surgery as a teenager, she believed that, “it is terrible that culture puts pressure on teens and that they can’t be happy with their body image”. The social construction of perfection put too much pressure on teenagers. She feared the surgery could be life threatening if the patient reacted poorly to the anesthesia used. When asked whether the final decision should be made by the teen or the adult, she replied that since they are only teenagers, the adult should be the only one allowed to make the final decision. Mitsch believed that it should stay that way. She felt that self-esteem came from within so the surgery would only provide a momentary boost in self-esteem. She also believed that self-esteem is something that one works for and earns in life; it is not something one can buy. Her opinion on how receiving the surgery could affect a pre-mature body at an early age biologically was that it would cause future problems, and the patients had no idea of knowing what may happen later on in life due to the surgery they had at such an early age. She concluded that depression should be considered a medical reason for thinking about receiving cosmetic surgery (M. Mitsch, personal communication, February 17, 2014).
This interview provided an opinion from a nursing professor which will help with my comparative essay. 

Ban on Health Practitioners

The president of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia, Dr. Gabrielle Caswell stated that, “Children should not receive cosmetic or surgical procedures of any kind unless there are compelling medical or psychological reasons to do so. They watch the Kardashians and come to me with pictures they see on instagram of models - they want to look like that”. Her organization attempted to pass a ban on health practitioners from performing procedures such as liposuction or lip augmentation on teenagers. The ban would put physicians in jail for two years if they treated a child before they reached the age of 18.
This article provided information from a ban that is in the process of being accepted in South Asia. 

Carroll, L. (2013, July 22). Ban teen cosmetic surgery: doctors. Retrieved February 18, 2014,

from http://www.theage.com.au/national/

ban-teen-cosmetic-surgery-doctors-20130721-2qcoo.html

Zach Charbonneau interview

Gerald Charbonneau has a PH.D in Sociology and currently is a professor at Madonna University. Charbonneau doesn’t know anyone personally who underwent cosmetic surgery as a teen. He understands all of the pressures that teens go through and he still does not believe teens should receive cosmetic surgery. He stated, “I would not encourage it, generally speaking.” Charbonneau also believed that cosmetic surgery is only available to an elite group of teenagers due to its cost. He firmly believed that even if the teenagers are old enough to undergo cosmetic surgery they should still consult with the parents. He stated, “Depending on the age of teenagers, it should be a collaborative decision between teenagers and the adult”. He then went on explaining this saying that it is not only peers that pressure teens to undergo cosmetic surgery. The parents sometimes try to use their own kid to benefit themselves. He stated, “A negative part is when the adult uses the surgery more for their own benefit, they want their child to become the next big actor or be in the Rose Bowl”.  Charbonneau does not believe that undergoing cosmetic surgery is a perfect solution for one’s self esteem. He stated, “I think it can; however, only short term”. He then concluded by saying, “I do not think of cosmetic surgery as a major social problem” 

 This interview gives great information from an expert and it will be very useful in writing my paper.

(G. Charbonneau, personal communication, February 14, 2014).

2012 Cosmetic Surgery Demographics

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons compiled data regarding how frequently different ethnic groups underwent cosmetic surgery, what types of cosmetic surgery they chose, and where most of the surgeries took place. In 2012, most cosmetic surgeries were performed in a plastic surgery office with 10,427,178 or 71% percent of surgeries.  Free-standing ambulatory surgical facilities had the second most with 1,414,865 surgeries followed by hospitals with 2,787,233 surgeries.  The ethnicities that underwent cosmetic surgeries most frequently were Caucasians with 10,242,650 surgeries, Hispanics with 1,592,445 surgeries, African-Americans with 1,171,751 surgeries, Asian-Americans with 976,694 surgeries, and other ethnicities with 645,736 surgeries.  The frequency of surgeries among Caucasians, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans has risen since 2011 while that of Hispanics and other ethnicities has decreased in the same amount of time.  Of the five most popular procedures, being breast augmentation, nose reshaping, liposuction, eyelid surgery, and tummy tuck,  Caucasians lead all other ethnicities in the amount of surgeries they underwent.  Caucasians were followed by Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and other ethnicities, in the order.  The closest total by any other ethnic group for any of these procedures is 59% less than that of Caucasians.  In non-surgical procedures, this trend in which Caucasians underwent the most procedures continued.  Caucasians still held a significant percent differences from the ethnicity with the second most procedures.  Hispanics trailed Caucasians by nearly 65% when it came to non-surgical procedures.  These statistics provide good visual representation of which ethnic groups underwent the most and least amounts of cosmetic procedures in 2012. 

American Society of Plastic Surgeons. (2012). 2012 cosmetic demographics. [PDF file].  Available
from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Documents/news-resources/statistics/2012-Plastic-Surgery-Statistics/full-plastic-surgery-statistics-report.pdf
 

 

Can Cosmetic Surgery Be Good for Teens?

Teens Jen Selter, Jon Escalante, and Hannah Olsen were bullied constantly due to their physical appearance.  These three teens did not opt to undergo surgery simply for narcissistic reasons or because of the name calling, they did it because of "how they felt about themselves on a deeper level."  Selter was quoted saying that “My advice to teenagers is don’t have a nose job just ‘cause you’re worried about what other people say or think."  The nose job helped him the feel good about himself on the inside and outside.  Psychiatrist Charles Sophy said that parents should makes sure that their teens or adolescents know that cosmetic surgery should not be a coping mechanism.  Many reputable plastic surgeons recommend that teens attend at least four sessions with a therapist before the procedure to uncover why that individual desires a certain procedure and if they are mature enough to handle it.  Plastic surgeons report that teens undergo cosmetic surgery to fit in while adults do it to stand out.  However, some doctors say that undergoing cosmetic surgery to fix a physical defect can relieve prolonged psychological distress which can be a good thing.  Before undergoing cosmetic surgery, parents and teens should know the possible complications and if they can handle the risks that are involved.  Parents and children should also know the guidelines that are in place for younger patients.  Facial surgery should not be done on females until age 14 and males age 15.  Breast augmentation cannot be done on anyone under 18 and "most surgeons will refuse to perform liposuction on anyone younger than 17 or 18."  This article gave good examples of when cosmetic surgery could be used to help teens affected by bullying and when most surgeons would actually perform certain types of surgeries.  

Coffey, L. (30 March, 2010).  Can plastic surgery be good for teens?.  NBCNews.com.  Retrieved from http://www.today.com/id/36101073/ns/today-parenting/#.Uvp6SWJdW8A         

Planning surgery at a young age

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery conducted a survey in 2011 which discovered that Americans who approve of cosmetic plastic surgery "is increasing regardless of age or income level."  The survey also showed that even though those between 35 and 50 are more than likely to choose cosmetic surgery, individuals between 18 and 24 are most likely to consider having surgery done immediately or in the future. Spire Healthcare in the United Kingdom also conducted a survey of women between 18 and 30 years old.  It revealed that 25 percent of these women "first consider cosmetic procedures between the ages of 10 and 15" years old.  The survey also found that "one in three British teens decide to pursue plastic surgery" between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Chantelle Horton, the editor of More magazine, was quoted saying "It is clear that young women see surgery as a normal, acceptable and desirable way to correct their perceived imperfections and they genuinely believe this would make them happier." This article provides good survey data regarding how Americans and other women around the world perceive cosmetic procedures.  

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (September 19, 2011). Surveys find many young women begin planning plastic surgeries in teens. Available  from http://www.surgery.org/consumers/plastic-surgery-news-briefs/surveys-find-young-women-planning-plastic-surgeries-teens-1035572

Possible risks of cosmetic surgery

Teens are beginning to request plastic surgery just to improve their physical characteristics.  In 2010, 219,000 cosmetic surgeries were performed on those 13-19 years old.  Before one undergoes cosmetic surgery, one should contemplate the side effects that could arise from the procedure.  they should also research and find an experienced surgeon for the procedure and whether or not one really needs the surgery.  Several risks and complications can arise from these surgeries.  Some of them are unexpected bleeding, nerve damage leading to paralysis, , delayed healing, pneumonia,  scarring, depression,  and the risk of complications with  anesthesia.  other side effects could also be seroma, which is the deposit of clear fluid that sometimes develops after liposuction, tummy tuck and breast augmentation.  The surgical area could also end up not being as symmetrical as before the surgery. In a maturing body, these problems can lead to complications or death if the procedures are done incorrectly.  This source has good examples of what the complications are and what they do to the body.

International Business Times. (2012, March 18). The dangers of plastic surgery.  Retrieved January 29, 2014 from  http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/315698/20120318/plastic-surgery-evils-skin-damage-risks-asymetry.htm#.UukOTPbZWcV  

Cosmetic Industry Offers Promise of Perfection for the Young

This article discussed the financial aspect of teenage surgeries. Younger people, who are the main customers, sought the cheapest ways to achieve the look they desired. Motivation to change their body was due to low self-esteem and confidence relating to their appearance. "In chat groups, girls exchange tips on what they were charged and how one clinic reduced their costs to match another's price. But in this busy commercial marketplace, leading plastic surgeons and others worry that medical standards can slip." Only 71 out of 619 private clinics closed after inquiry from the Care Quality Commission inspections. The rest either did not take part or refused to answer. These results brought up questions about how 'clean' these clinics truly were. Quality of the surgeries are brought into question due to the lowered costs for teens who are desperate. Cutting costs lead to lower quality surgeries which furthered the health risks for the already self-conscious teens. 
This article emphasized the importance of choosing a well-known surgeon to receive the best surgery possible. 

Boseley, S. (2012, January 15). Cosmetic industry offers promise of perfection for the young. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/15/cosmetic-industry-promise-perfection-young

Treating Teens

This article discussed the pros and cons on teenagers undergoing cosmetic surgery before the age of eighteen. The author interviewed multiple doctors for their view on the issue. Pros included familial/genetic problems and that surgery helped to increase the teenagers' self-esteem. "For example, if a teenager has a familial problem, like big hips or no breasts, cosmetic procedures are very appropriate. Another example is the minimization of acne scars with laser resurfacing." Cons argued how exercise and diet are being ruled out due to rash decisions or how the parents push for the surgery more than the teenagers. "While the daughter was about 20 percent over optimal body weight, she wasn't concerned at all about it-the mother was the only one who wanted this to happen." 
This article provided interesting statistics as well as quotes for pros and cons  from doctors to aid my paper. 


Gillette, B. (2008). Treating Teens. Dermatology Times, 29, 44. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com.madonnaezp.liblime.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search&dictionaryClick=&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=5&edition=&ts=9BA36AB1FCC9B34F31F696FCD62D0DEF_1390972040101&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B152320612#citation

Teenagers and Cosmetic Surgery

This article covers multiple benefits and downsides to teens have plastic surgery. It covers everything from anti- bullying technique to long term problems and infections. The main topics that it covers include plastic surgery in a developing teen, understanding the risks of surgery, and screening. Teens bodies are constantly changing and from the age of 18 through 21 the average girl will gain weight which may change their desire to get breast augmentation. A major concern for plastic surgery is if the outcome is worth the risk. Plastic surgery is not risk free, studies have shown that women have had at least one serous complication within the first three years of surgery. A mistake in a liposuction could cause huge problems from damaging nerves to affecting ones vital organs. People have died during liposuction and many people do not know the true risk of a lot these operations. Lastly, this article talks about whether a teen needs to be screened for a certain level of maturity before the operation. The main problem with this is who determines whether the teen is old enough the parent of the physician?
 This article has both pro and con sides to my topic along with a lot of other references.

Zuckerman, D. (n.d.). A New Edition for a New Era - Our Bodies Ourselves. A New Edition for a New Era - Our Bodies Ourselves. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=1&compID=102

2012 Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics

This statistical graph shows which cosmetic surgeries are the most popular in teens from age 13-19. It shows the percent increase from 2011 to 2012 and the total amount of operations completed throughout 2012. The total amount of surgeries performed increased by 4 percent which raised the number up to 76,220. The total number of minimally-invasive procedures increased 1% and it equaled 160,136. This brought the total cosmetic operations in teens to 236,356 which was a two percent increase in total operations over the year. The top 5 surgical procedures were breast augmentation, breast reduction in men, ear surgery, liposuction, and nose reshaping. While the top 5 minimally invasive procedures turned out to be Botox, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, laser treatment of leg veins, and microdermabrasion. 

This statistical graph holds a lot of information that will be useful for my paper and presentation.

2012 Cosmetic Surgery Age Distribution. (n.d.). http://www.plasticsurgery.org/. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Documents/news-resources/statistics/2012-Plastic-Surgery-Statistics/cosmetic-procedures-ages-13-19.pdf

Age Distribution of Cosmetic Surgery Over a 10 Year Period

Plastic and cosmetic surgery is becoming and increasingly popular practice of Americans.  However, it is not only adults that are undergoing these risky and life altering procedures.  In 2000, the top 5 cosmetic surgeries performed on those 18 and under were: Chemical peel with 50,380, laser hair removal with 17,782, cosmetic ear surgery with 11,702, nose reshaping with 15,229, and microdermabrasion with 21,673.  Now, statistics from 2010 demonstrate that these procedures have remained to be popular among those 18 and under.  From 2000 to 2010, some surgical and nonsurgical procedures have decreased.  Chemical peels dropped to 16,175, laser hair removals increased to 51,147, microdermabrasion decreased to 10,360, cosmetic ear surgery decreased to 10,748, and nose reshaping dropped to 9,094 in 2010.  One difference in the popularity of a particular cosmetic surgery from 2000 to 2010 was that of breast augmentation.  In 2000, breast augmentations were at 2,123 and in 2010 nearly doubled to 4,153. These statistic tables are a good source of information about the popularity of cosmetic surgery among those 18 or younger.

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2000). 2000 age distribution for cosmetic procedures. [PDF file]. Available from http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/2000stats.pdf.

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2010). 2010 age distribution for cosmetic procedures. [PDF file].  Available from http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/Stats2010_1.pdf.

Cosmetic Surgery May Benefit Some Teens

This article highlighted the thought process one goes through when deciding whether to undergo cosmetic surgery. The author, Matthew Shulman, discussed the several factors that are deemed important when making the decision to receive cosmetic surgery with former president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Richard D’Amico. D'Amico stated, “If your expectations aren't realistic and you have low self-esteem or no friends, cosmetic surgery is not the right answer.” During the consultation, the doctor should able to determine whether the teenager’s views are realistic or not. “If the teenager believes that if only she got her nose done, she would no longer be ostracized, then I'd refer her for counseling. I also look at the level of parental support. You really have to look at personal maturity and make sure that the expectations are realistic.”

This article provided a surgeon’s view on the issue of teenagers thought process behind wanting to get cosmetic surgery.

Shulman, M. (n.d.). Cosmetic Surgery Can Benefit Some Teens. http://go.galegroup.com/. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=catholiccenhs&tabID=T001&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CEJ3010676210&&docId=GALE|EJ3010676210&docType=GALE&role=OVIC

Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery

This article in the New York Times delves into the controversial topic of cosmetic surgery and teenage girls.  A study conducted by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery showed that from 1997 to 2007, the number of cosmetic surgeries performed on youths 18 or younger tripled from 59,890 to 205,119.  However, these surgeries were not performed because they were necessary, but to help teen girls feel better about themselves.  Plastic surgeon Dr. Fredrick Lukash stated that "kids have a different mantra" about plastic surgery, "they do it to fit in."  What these cosmetic surgery patients do not understand is that the changes they are choosing to make at such a young age are permanent and are extremely difficult to reverse.  A survey sponsored by the  Dove Self-Esteem Fund, surveyed 1000 teenage girls and learned that only 10% of them believed that they were "pretty enough" which means that 90% of them thought they did not "measure up" to those around them. Plastic surgeons believe that cosmetic surgery on teenage girls is justified because the boost it can give to their self-confidence can stop them from other "destructive behaviors, including eating disorders, bullying, and self-mutilation."
This article contains great insight from professional about why teens actually elect to receive cosmetic surgery.


Sweeney, C.. (14 January, 2009). Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery.  New York Times.       Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/fashion/15skin.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
   

Teens receiving plastic surgery to prevent bullying

This brief article explains why some parents allow their children to receive plastic surgery. Parents and organizations are trying to prevent teens from getting bullied through school. An anti-bullying foundation even ended up paying for a 14 year old girls plastic surgery. This ended up causing a lot of controversy so RealSelf.com took a poll to see if people were fine with teens undergoing plastic surgery if it was to prevent bullying. Over 650 people participated in this poll and the results showed that 68% of people actually favored teen plastic surgery. The other 32% was totally against teens receiving plastic surgery even if it was to help prevent bullying.  They said that while teens are claiming that they want plastic surgery to prevent bullying, their true motivation is to improve their looks. 

This article contains a brief overview on teens receiving plastic surgery to help prevent bullying and it this information is connected to my topic.

RealSelf.com Survey: Parents Weigh Plastic Surgery for Children to Prevent Bullying. (2012, August 31).www.galegroup.com. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=catholiccenhs&tabID=T003&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA3011